Indian Contract Act, 1872

Agreement to do impossible act

56. An agreement to do an act impossible in itself is void.

Contract to do act afterwards becoming impossible or unlawful : A contract to do an act which, after the contract is made, becomes impossible, or, by reason of some event which the promisor could not prevent, unlawful, becomes void when the act becomes impossible or unlawful.

Compensation for loss through non-performance of act known to be impossible or unlawful : Where one person has promised to be something which he knew, or, with reasonable diligence, might have known, and which the promisee did not know to be impossible or unlawful, such promisor must make compensation to such promisee for any loss which such promisee sustains through the non-performance of the promise.

Illustrations

(a)	-	A agrees with B to discover treasure by magic. The agreement is void.
(b)	-	A and B contract to marry each other. Before the time fixed for the marriage, A goes mad. The contract becomes void.
(c)	-	A contracts to marry B, being already married to C .... To read the full section download the app from Google Play store Latest Job Openings View all Featured ARTICLESHIP 19 March 2026 Article Assistant Gupta Sachdeva & Co. Chartered Accountants New Delhi CA Final View Details Featured 28 March 2026 Accountant Ashok Amol & Associates New Delhi B.Com View Details Featured 29 April 2026 Manager- Finance and Compliance Naveen Fintech Pvt Ltd Kolkata CA Inter View Details Featured 13 April 2026 GST CONSULTANCY Abhishek G Agrawal & Co. Korba CA Final View Details Featured 14 April 2026 GST CONSULTANT Abhishek G Agrawal & Co. Korba CA Final View Details Featured 28 March 2026 CA Final Ashok Amol & Associates New Delhi CA Final View Details Share  Facebook  Twitter  Linkedin  Reddit  Email  Whatsapp  Gmail  Pocket  Print  Pinterest  PDF  Translate Whatsapp Groups GST Income Tax CA Final CA Inter CAclubindia Login at CAclubindia CAclubindia India's largest network for finance professionals User Name Password Remember Me Forgot Password ? Alternatively, you can log in using: Login with Google Don't have an account? Register Now click here to register