A plaintiff, having acted on
request of a defendant, is
entitled to assume that if the act
was wrongful, he will be
indemnified by the defendant.
Adamson v. Jarvis
Plaintiff sold defendant's cattle, which did not belong
to him.
Auctioneer held liable by original owner.
Plaintiff having acted on the
request of the defendant, was
entitled to assume that he
would be indemnified by the
defendant.
Indemnity wide enough
to include loss arising
any cause whatsoever.
Dugdale v. Lovering
Plaintiffs were in possession of trucks
claimed by two defendants and K.P.
Co.
Plaintiffs delivered trucks to
defendant after asking for
indemnity and getting no reply.
Entitled to recover on an
implied promise, by demanding
indemnity, made clear that no
intention to deliver without.
Sheffield Corporation v. Barclay
Corporation Registered
transfer of Stock on request of
banker.
Transfers were discovered to be forgeries.
Entitled to recover from banker.
Position in Indian Law
Section 124
Definition
Scope is much narrower
than in English Law
Loss arising from
accidents excluded
in definition.
Situations involving
instructions from wrongful
owner, like Adamson v. Jarvis,
will fall under Section 223.
(Principle-Agent indemnity)
One party promising to
save the other due to loss
caused by the promisor, or
any other party.
Secy of State for India in Council
v. Bank of India Ltd.
A person delivered a forged
endorsement to a Bank,
which received it in exchange
for money.
Bank sent the note to Public Debt
Office to renew in their name.
True owner of the note recovered
compensation from the State.
State was allowed to recover
from the Bank on an implied
promise of indemnity.
Section 125
Rights of Indemnity Holder
when sued.
When does liability commence?
Gajanan Moreshwar v.
Moreshwar Madan Mantri
Explained the departure from
the idea that action was not
maintainable until actual loss
was incurred.
The indemnified had to
wait till a judgement and
satisfy it before he could
use on his indemnity.
Sometimes threw an
intolerable burden
on indemnity holder.
Might not be in a position to
satisfy judgement, but could
not avail of indemnity until he
had done so.
Court of Equity stepped in and said that the indemnified was
entitled to sue as soon as his liability became absolute.
Richardson Re, Ex Parte the
Governors of St. Thomas's
Hospital.
Indemnity is not given by
repayment after payment, it
requires that the indemnified
shall never be called upon to pay.
Indian Cases on this principle.
Osman Jamal v. Gopal Purshottam
A company was the commission agent
for the defendant firm, and it bought
certain goods in that capacity.
Supplier was entitled to recover
from the company, but it went
into liquidation before paying.
Held that Official Liquidator could
recover from defendants, even though
the company had never paid. Money
had to be set aside for full payment to
vendors.
Abdul Hussain v.
Bombay Metal
Syndicate
Plaintiffs had sold goods to
defendants. Defendants
provided a letter indemnifying
plaintiff from sales tax.
When asked to pay tax, plaintiff
asked defendants to do so, they
did not.
Plaintiff deposited money himself,
filed suit to recover money more than
3 years after getting tax notice.
Plaintiff is entitled to wait and institute suit after
damnification and sufferance of loss. Within period of
limitation as period starts from date of payment of tax.