Indian Contract Act, 1872 · Chapter X: Agency · Appointment and authority of agents
Section 189: Agent's authority in an emergency
In plain words
In an emergency, an agent can do whatever a person of ordinary prudence would do in their own case to protect the principal from loss.
Example: An agent told to forward provisions to another city can sell them locally if they would spoil on the journey.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
An agent has authority, in an emergency, to do all such acts for the purpose of protecting his principal from loss as would be done by a person of ordinary prudence, in his own case, under similar circumstances.
Illustrations
(a) An agent for sale may have goods repaired if it be necessary.
(b) A consigns provisions to B at Calcutta, with directions to send them immediately to C, at Cuttack. B may sell the provisions at Calcutta, if they will not bear the journey to Cuttack without spoiling.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 189
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.