What doctrine prevents a promisor from withdrawing a promise if it adversely affects the promisee?

Promissory estoppel is the doctrine that prevents a promisor from withdrawing a promise if the promisee has relied on that promise to their detriment. In other words, when one party (the promisee) reasonably relies on a promise made by another party (the promisor), and this reliance leads to a significant change in the promisee's position, the law may enforce the promise even in the absence of a formal contract.

The key aspect of promissory estoppel is that it protects the promisee from the unfairness that would arise if the promisor were allowed to retract their promise after the promisee has taken action or incurred costs based on that promise. This doctrine aims to uphold fairness and justice in situations where reliance on a promise has caused a loss.

In contrast, the other options relate to different legal concepts. Contract law encompasses the broader legal framework governing agreements between parties but does not specifically address the issues of reliance on non-enforceable promises. Equitable relief refers to remedies granted by a court based on fairness, often when monetary damages are insufficient, but it does not specifically capture the reliance aspect. Detrimental reliance is similar but is a concept used to illustrate the circumstances under which promissory estoppel may be