The claimant subcontractor submitted a tender and started work on site in June 1959. The agreement was not fully agreed and signed until April 1960. Variations had arisen in the intervening period. An issue arose as to whether there was a contract governing the parties' rights as to work done since June 1959. It was held that there was no principle of English law that provides that a contract cannot have retrospective effect, or that if it purported to have such effect it would be a nullity. Here, it was necessary to give business efficacy to the contract such that the variation clauses would apply retrospectively.
