legal-terms
What is the meaning of &quot;provided that&quot; in the following context? It i the same as, or similar to &quot;condition precedent?
<p>In an <a href="https://law.stackexchange.com/questions/32384/what-is-a-condition-precedent">earlier question</a>, I asked about the &quot;condition precedent&quot; of an investor investing money in a company being the investor's being shown a demonstration of the company's new product to the investor's reasonable satisfaction.</p>
<p>Supposed the contract read, &quot;The investor will invest, p<strong>rovided that</strong> he has been given a demonstration of the product that meets his reasonable satisfaction.&quot; Is that the same as, or equivalent to the demo being a &quot;condition precedent&quot; for the investment?</p>

<p>Since it is a term of a contract, it is not a condition precedent to <em>a</em> contract.</p>
<p>However, it is a condition precedent to an obligation <em>under</em> a contract. The obligation on the investor to invest does not crystalise unless and until the demonstration occurs. Such obligations are usually called <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/contingentliability.asp#:%7E:text=A%20contingent%20liability%20is%20a,liability%20can%20be%20reasonably%20estimated." rel="nofollow noreferrer">contingent liabilities</a>.</p>

<p>It is often not possible to determine on the face of the contractual language whether a term is a condition precedent, or some other kind of contractual term, such as a promise. There is a canon of statutory interpretation that provides that unless there is no doubt otherwise, that contract terms are promises rather than conditions precedent.</p>
