Karsales (Harrow) Ltd v Wallis [1956] EWCA Civ 4 is an English Court of Appeal decision which established fundamental breach as a major English contract law doctrine. Denning LJ MR gave the leading judgment replacing the Rule of Strict Construction, which require a literal approach to the construction of contract terms. The Karsales decision allowed a court to override exemption clauses in contracts, if it appears that such clauses undermined the "fundamental obligations" of the parties. Although the case was the leading case for a decade, it has since lost much of its significance.