Question

Principle : Law never enforces an impossible promise.
Facts : 'A‘ made a promise to 'B‘ to discover treasure by magic.
This question consists of legal principle(s) (hereinafter referred to as 'principle‘) and facts. Such proposition may or may not be true in the real and legal sense, yet you have to conclusively assume them to be true for the purposes of this section. Principles have to be applied to the given facts to arrive at the most reasonable conclusion. Only one of the alternatives, i.e., (A), (B), (C), or (D) is the most reasonable conclusion. In other words, in answering the following questions, you must not rely on any principle except the principles that are given herein below for every question. Further you must not assume any facts other than those stated in the question. The objective of this section is to test your ability in legal aptitude, study of law, research aptitude and problem solving ability even if the 'most reasonable conclusion‘ arrived at may be absurd or unacceptable for any other reason.

• A. Law will enforce the promise.
• B. Law will not enforce the promise.
• C. Law will enforce the promise only at the option of A.
• D. Law will enforce the promise only at the option of B.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

The correct option is (B): Law will not enforce the promise.

Answer 2

The principle tells us that law never enforces an impossible promise. A promised B that he would discover treasure by magic. Let's check each option against this.

1. Option A: Law will enforce the promise: This is not possible under the principle. Discovering treasure by magic cannot actually happen, magic has no real effect on the physical world, so the promise is impossible to perform, and an impossible promise is never enforced.
2. Option B: Law will not enforce the promise: Since discovering treasure through magic is something that can never actually be carried out, the promise is impossible from the outset, and the principle says such a promise is never enforced by law.
3. Option C: Law will enforce the promise only at the option of A: The principle draws no distinction based on which party wants the promise enforced. It is a blanket rule about impossible promises, so making enforcement depend on A's choice adds a condition the principle does not contain.
4. Option D: Law will enforce the promise only at the option of B: The same problem applies here, the principle does not make enforceability turn on either party's preference, it simply says an impossible promise is not enforced, regardless of who wants it enforced.

Because performing this promise by magic is impossible in the first place, the principle rules out enforcing it at all, for either party.

Therefore, the correct answer is Law will not enforce the promise.

Answer 3

Break the principle into its working parts: first identify exactly what was promised, then ask whether performing that promise is actually possible, and only then decide on enforcement. Test each option against this sequence.

1. Law will enforce the promise: This fails at the possibility stage, discovering treasure through magic is not something that can actually be carried out, magic has no real effect on the physical world, so the promised act is impossible from the start, and an impossible promise cannot be enforced.
2. Law will not enforce the promise: This matches the sequence exactly, since the possibility stage fails, discovering treasure by magic can never really happen, the next stage follows automatically, the principle bars enforcement outright.
3. Law will enforce the promise only at the option of A: This introduces a third stage, whose choice controls enforcement, that the principle's wording never establishes. The principle only has two stages, is performance possible, and if not, enforcement is barred, it does not make room for either party's preference to override that.
4. Law will enforce the promise only at the option of B: This has the same defect as the option above, it adds a party's choice as a deciding factor, when the principle states plainly that an impossible promise is simply not enforced, regardless of who wants it enforced.

Since discovering treasure by magic can never actually be performed, the promise is impossible from the outset, and the principle rules out enforcing it for either party.

Therefore, the correct answer is Law will not enforce the promise.