Legal Definitions - commettant

Commettant refers to the party who authorizes or directs another person or entity to act on their behalf, often bearing responsibility for the actions of that authorized party.

It essentially means:

• An employer who directs an employee.
• A principal who grants authority to an agent.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Imagine a construction company owner who hires a project manager. The owner is the commettant. If the project manager, acting within their authorized duties, signs a contract for materials, the construction company owner is typically bound by that agreement. The owner authorized the project manager to act on the company's behalf, making the owner the commettant responsible for the manager's actions.

• Consider a homeowner who tasks a real estate agent with selling their property. The homeowner is the commettant. The real estate agent acts as their representative, showing the house and negotiating offers. Any legitimate offer accepted by the agent, within the scope of authority granted by the homeowner, would typically bind the homeowner because they are the commettant who authorized the agent's actions.

• A small business owner hires a delivery driver to transport goods to customers. The business owner is the commettant. If the delivery driver, while on duty and driving the company vehicle, causes an accident, the business owner might be held liable for damages. This is because the owner, as the commettant, authorized the driver to perform duties on their behalf, and is often responsible for the actions of their employees within the scope of employment.