http://www.oyez.org/issues/economic-activity/oil-producer/ U.S. Supreme Court Decisions, presented by The Oyez Project (www.oyez.org) en-us <p>Does the enactment of a new statute, which prevents the Federal Government from following a contractual promise to follow the terms of pre-existing statutes and regulations, constitute the repudiation of a contract?</p><p>Yes. In an 8-1 opinion delivered by Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the Court held that the Federal Government broke its promise, repudiated the contracts, and must give the companies their money back. "We find that the oil companies gave the United States $158 million in return for a contractual promise to follow the terms of pre-existing statutes and regulations. The new statute prevented the Government from keeping that promise," wrote Justice Breyer for the Court, "therefore the Government must give the companies their money back."</p> http://www.oyez.org/cases/1990-1999/1999/1999_99_244/ <p>No details yet.</p> http://www.oyez.org/cases/1980-1989/1981/1981_80_1464/