Legal obligations are content-independent reasons that are both categorical and pre-emptive in force. The mark of their content-independence is that their force does not depend on the nature or merits of the action they require: in most cases, law can impose an obligation to do X or to refrain from doing X (Hart 1958; 1982: 254-55; but cf
Legal obligation. Latest updates - last updated 12 July 2023. At a glance. You can rely on this lawful basis if you need to process the personal data to comply with a common law or statutory obligation. This does not apply to contractual obligations. The processing must be necessary.Understanding Legal Obligations in the Absence of a Contract. In the realm of US law, contracts play a pivotal role in regulating legal relationships and setting forth the rights and duties of parties involved. However, it is important to note that not all legal obligations require a formal contract to be established. Obligations are the legal rules, requirements, and scenarios in which people are required to do something. Duty, meanwhile, refers to the action that a person must perform in order to meet an obligation. For example, there is a legal obligation to follow the Highway Code in the UK. .