Rewards Law and Legal Definition
A reward may be a sum of money or other compensation offered by the government or an individual to the public generally, or to a particular person or class of persons, in return for the performance of special or extraordinary services. A reward may be offered by the government or by a private person. Any person having the capacity to contract may ordinarily offer a reward, and it will be governed by general contract law. Contract law creates a duty of good faith, therefore, the offer may not be withdrawn arbitrarily to avoid payment. The reward must not be against public policy. Additionally, various federal statutes provide for the offering of rewards in specific instances, and state and local governments may, by statute, ordinance or other legislation, offer rewards. In criminal prosecutions, the expectation of receiving a reward upon conviction of a prisoner does not disqualify a person to testify a as witness.
