Contract Law

PRIVITY OF CONTRACT: THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF THE LAW REFORM COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS ON IRISH CONTRACT LAW

by Kevin T. O'Sullivan

D. Cabrelli & R. Zahn, ‘Challenging Unfair Terms: Some Recent Developments’ (2010) 2 Juridical Review 115 – 137

by Rebecca Zahn

Over the past year or so, there have been a number of important cases which have taken into account the provisions of... more Over the past year or so, there have been a number of important cases which have taken into account the provisions of the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and its ability to strike down clauses which seek to exclude or limit a party’s liability for delictual or contractual liability. This article examines recent cases and discusses the implications of the judgments for the interpretation of the legislation. This article also examines recent cases which have examined the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Regulations 1999

'Contrahere' in Labeone

by Roberto Fiori

in "Carmina iuris. Mélanges en l’honneur de Michel Humbert", Paris 2012, pp. 311-331

No 'theory of contract' can be attributed to Labeo, who agreed with the traditional centrality of obligatio: in D. 50,... more No 'theory of contract' can be attributed to Labeo, who agreed with the traditional centrality of obligatio: in D. 50, 16, 19 he was only stressing the proper meaning of 'contrahere' in comparison with its wide usage in the praetor's edict.

Party Choice and the Common European Sales Law, or: How to Prevent the CESL from Becoming a Lemon on the Law Market

by Jan Smits

Maastricht European Private Law Institute Working Paper 2012/13

Optional legal regimes, such as the Proposal for a Regulation on a Common European Sales Law (CESL), must derive their... more Optional legal regimes, such as the Proposal for a Regulation on a Common European Sales Law (CESL), must derive their success from being chosen by parties. This contribution asks on what conditions it is dependent whether parties will choose for an optional regime such as the CESL. This requires a clear view of the added value of so-called vertical jurisdictional competition, of the preferences of business and consumers, and of the choices available to contracting parties when designing their contractual relationship. It is argued that in order to be an attractive competitor on the law market, the proposed CESL must meet three requirements. First, it must be significantly different from existing options by offering more innovative solutions, reflecting an alternative view of contractual justice or offering a wider scope of application. Secondly, parties should be able to easily recognise the benefits of a choice for the CESL, calling for innovative ways of marketing such as user-based rankings. Thirdly, the costs of making the CESL applicable must be low compared to other available options. Only if these requirements are met – which is not the case with the present Proposal – it is avoided that CESL turns into a lemon on the European law market.

Tipicità contrattuale e teoria generale del contratto. Alcuni problemi di storia e dogmatica

by Roberto Fiori

in "Roma e America: Diritto romano comune", 22 (2006) pp. 105-113

Zasady umów długoterminowych, wprowadzenie i komentarz

by Rafał Mańko

‘Zasady umów długoterminowych. Wprowadzenie i komentarz’ [Principles of Long Term Contracts: Introduction and Commentary] (2006) 15:2 Kwartalnik Prawa Prywatnego, pp. 531–563

ABSTRACT. The present paper is an analysis of the Principles of European Law on Commercial Agency, Franchise and... more ABSTRACT. The present paper is an analysis of the Principles of European Law on Commercial Agency, Franchise and Distribution" prepared by the.Study Group on a European Civil Code. The paper presents the Study Group (point II), the methodology of the drafting process (point III), the potential role of the draft in a future European Civil Code (point IV) and contains a detailed analysis of the black-letter rules (point V). The conclusions (point VI) contain remarks regarding the potential usefulness of the Principles for the Polish legislature.

STRESZCZENIE. Dokument zatytułowany "Zasady prawa europejskiego o umowie agencyjnej, umowie franczyzy oraz umowie dystrybucyjnej", przygotowany został przez Podzespół ds. Umów o Charakterze Długoterminowym działający w ramach Grupy Badawczej ds. Europejskiego Kodeksu Cywilnego, kierowanej przez niemieckiego cywilistę Christiana von Bara. Prace nad projektem trwały od 1998 r. do czerwca 2003 r. Zespołowi przewodniczył wybitny cywilista i teoretyk prawa, prof. Martijn Hesselink z Uniwersytetu Amsterdamskiego, a w skład zespołu wchodzili cywiliści z różnych państw Unii (Hiszpania, Włochy, Niderlandy). Celem niniejszego artykułu jest krótka prezentacja Grupa Badawczej ds. Europejskiego Kodeksu Cywilnego, w ramach której powstał komentowany projekt (punkt II), przedstawienie metodyki pracy przyjętej przez grupę amsterdamską (punkt III) ukazanie roli, jaką w intencji twórców projektu miałby on odegrać jako część ewentualnego europejskiego kodeksu cywilnego (punkt IV), wreszcie szczegółowa analiza postanowień projektu (punkt V). Całość zamykają uwagi dotyczące potencjalnej przydatności projektu jako źródła inspiracji dla ustawodawcy polskiego (punkt VI).

An Empirical Investigation of Interorganizational Opportunism and Contracting Mechanisms

by Fabrice Lumineau

Lumineau F. & Quélin B. V. 2012. “An Empirical Investigation of Interorganizational Opportunism and Contracting Mechanisms.” Strategic Organization, 10(1): 55-84.

This study investigates contracting mechanisms in situations of opportunistic disputes between organizations. We... more This study investigates contracting mechanisms in situations of opportunistic disputes between organizations. We specifically explore the relationships between the formal versus informal nature of opportunism and the formal versus informal nature of contractual governance. We use a unique data set of 102 buyer-supplier disputes to explore in depth different types of opportunism—that is, strong form versus weak form opportunism—and different types of contracting mechanisms—that is, the controlling and coordinating functions of formal contracts and the cooperative and competitive sides of relational contracts. Our detailed empirical analysis suggests distinct relationships between the different contracting mechanisms, the different types of opportunism, and the level of legal fees necessary to deal with the dispute. These findings enable us to derive implications for research on the role of contractual mechanisms in dealing with interorganizational opportunism.

Consent Orders Based on Binding Contracts

by John Tarrant

Not all litigation is pursued to the end of the relevant trial or appeal. In many cases the parties will agree to... more Not all litigation is pursued to the end of the relevant trial or appeal. In many cases the parties will agree to settle the litigation and have that agreement reflected in consent orders. In addition, consent orders may be made during litigation in relation to any number of interim matters. Importantly some of these consent orders will be underpinned by a binding contract between the parties. The author explores the issues that arise where a consent order is underpinned by a contract. The existence of a contract will make it more difficult for a consent order to be amended or set aside because to do so would interfere with the contractual agreement between the parties. Nevertheless, in relation to interim orders, the courts retain jurisdiction to override the contractual rights of the parties where that is required in the broader interests of justice. The author argues that the position is not entirely settled in relation to final orders that have been entered.

The Common European Sales Law (CESL) Beyond Party Choice

by Jan Smits

Maastricht European Private Law Institute Working Paper No. 2012/11

The Proposal for a Common European Sales Law (CESL), published by the European Commission in 2011, proposes to... more The Proposal for a Common European Sales Law (CESL), published by the European Commission in 2011, proposes to introduce an optional regime for cross-border sale of goods for the European Union. This contribution considers the choices that other actors than contracting parties (legislatures, courts, practitioners and academics) have to make in dealing with the proposed CESL. For national legislatures, the main choices are whether they want to turn the CESL into a real self-standing legal system and whether they want to guarantee the coherence, transparency and competitiveness of the national law. The European legislature has to decide if it wants to make use of CESL as a legislative model, while national and European courts have to find ways to ensure an autonomous interpretation. In so far as legal practitioners are concerned, the CESL will require alternative ways of informing private actors about how the optional regime differs from other (national) legal systems. This calls for a greater role for new technologies in providing legal information. Finally, academics have to decide if they want to use the CESL as a reference text in teaching and research. This is dependent on the relative qualities of the CESL compared with UP, PECL, PESL, DCFR and CISG. Analysis of these choices shows that the actual use of CESL by contracting parties will be highly dependent on the choices that other actors make in designing the legal environment.

Fides et bona fides: Hiérarchie sociale et catégories juridiques

by Roberto Fiori

in "Revue historique de droit français et étranger " 86 (2008) pp. 465-481

It is a common misconception that fides and bona fides are ethical principles with changeable content, shaped by the... more It is a common misconception that fides and bona fides are ethical principles with changeable content, shaped by the development of social and moral values. They belong instead, since time immemorial, to the tradition of the ius civile, and are deeply rooted in Roman social structure (and its needs) as interpreted by the priests and by the jurists. The standard of fides and bona fides is always objective: in the archaic period, the real status of the parties (fides as the 'credit' of the individual within the group); afterwards, an abstact stardard identified with the bonus vir. The two concepts developed therefore from early on an (outwardly) dualistic value: on the one side, the respect of the parties' agreement; on the other side, the respect of all the terms implied in the nature of the relationship.

Illegality of Maritime Contracts Breaching SOLAS/ISPS Code Maritime Security Legislation

by Aref Fakhry

Published in 'European Transport Law', vol 47, 2012, no 1, pgs 3-10.

This article discusses basic principles of contract law in relation to the ever-expanding area of maritime security... more This article discusses basic principles of contract law in relation to the ever-expanding area of maritime security law. Specifically, it tries to answer the question whether breach of maritime security legislation contained in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974, as amended (SOLAS), or the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code) could lead, in addition to criminal or administrative sanctions, to contracts for the operation of the vessel, such as contracts of carriage and towage, being denied enforceability in a court of law.

Contracts, Transactions, and Equity

by TT Arvind

Forthcoming in Commercial Contract Law: A Transatlantic Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2012)

Equitable concepts and remedies play a significant - and growing - role in cases arising out of commercial... more Equitable concepts and remedies play a significant - and growing - role in cases arising out of commercial transactions. Such use is exceptional, but it is nevertheless systematic; and, significantly, the majority of the transactions to which it relates involve a contractual element. Courts, in other words, systematically invoke equitable principles – and not principles of the law of contract – to resolve commercial disputes in transactions governed by a contractual framework, and in relation to issues, such as gap filling and protecting expectations, that are generally taken to be part of the core functions of the law of contract.

I argue that the invocation of equitable principles in a commercial context must be understood as a deliberate departure from the market-rationality understanding of the transaction that is reflected in the law of contract, in favour of a more relational understanding of the transaction. The reasons for this departure and its exceptional character reflect the traditional equitable jurisdiction over fraud and its preoccupation with conscience, and specifically the equitable realisation that the unfettered application of strict rules of law can be destructive of the trust that is necessary for the effective functioning of commercial markets. Drawing upon the economic theory of Karl Polanyi, I argue that ‘conscience’, in the sense it is used by courts applying equitable principles today, is principally a device to capture and represent in legal terms the ‘embeddedness’ of commercial transactions in a broader social context, and of market expectations in broader social expectations. This, I argue, has broader implications for our understanding of the structure and basis of contract law and for theories of the relationship between the law and practice of commercial contracting.

La contratación electrónica de servicios turísticos

by Fátima Yáñez Vivero

published in IE Working Papers, 15/09/2003

Forme e regole dei contratti di trasporto marittimo nel diritto romano

by Roberto Fiori

in "Rivista del Diritto della Navigazione" 39 (2010), pp. 149-176

The commercial trade of republican and imperial Rome was centered mostly on carriage by sea. The merchants and... more The commercial trade of republican and imperial Rome was centered mostly on carriage by sea. The merchants and shipowners could agree on different contractual conditions,
but these all fell into the general types of locatio conductio, which in Roman law was the only onerous long-term contract among the typical contracts. Since different contractual clauses
affected risk and liability, Roman jurists discussed their limits, and the actions to protect the parties.

Das ukrainische Individualarbeitsrecht

by Leonid Shmatenko

Co-authored with Martin Matthias Blüm
Published in: 2 Osteuropa Recht (OER) 188 - 198 (2011)

Das ukrainische Arbeitsgesetzbuch (ArbGB), das zurzeit in der Ukraine gilt, fußt noch immer auf dem alten sowjetischen... more Das ukrainische Arbeitsgesetzbuch (ArbGB), das zurzeit in der Ukraine gilt, fußt noch immer auf dem alten sowjetischen Arbeitsrecht und ist, obwohl zahlreiche Änderungsgesetze
verabschiedet wurden, heute fast 40 Jahre alt. Aus diesem Grunde bevorzugt es Arbeitnehmer und bietet diesen den größtmöglichen Schutz. Hinzu kommt. dass der Arbeitnehmer
durch den Arbeitsvertrag über seine Rechte nicht verfügen kann, Folglich werden die Vorschriften des ukrainischen Arbeitsrechts den arbeitnehmerunfreundlichen Vereinbarungen des Arbeitsvertrags vorgeben. Dies wird dann besonders relevant, wenn es um Kündigungen geht. In diesem Fall erlaubt das ukrainische Arbeitsrecht die Kündigung des Vertrages nur unter bestimmten Umständen.

'Contrahere' e 'solvere obligationem' in Q. Mucio Scevola

by Roberto Fiori

in Fides humanitas ius. Studii in onore di Luigi Labruna, III, Napoli 2007, pp. 1955-1974

Storicità del diritto e problemi di metodo. L’esempio della buona fede oggettiva

by Roberto Fiori

in L. Garofalo (ed.), Scopi e metodi della storia del diritto e formazione del giurista europeo (Atti Padova 25-26 novembre 2005), Napoli 2007, pp. 25-49

Fides e bona fides. Gerarchia sociale e categorie giuridiche

by Roberto Fiori

in AA.VV., Modelli teorici e metodologici nella storia del diritto privato 3, Napoli 2008, pp. 237-259

It is a common misconception that fides and bona fides are ethical principles with changeable content, shaped by the... more It is a common misconception that fides and bona fides are ethical principles with changeable content, shaped by the development of social and moral values. They belong instead, since time immemorial, to the tradition of the ius civile, and are deeply rooted in Roman social structure (and its needs) as interpreted by the priests and by the jurists. The standard of fides and bona fides is always objective: in the archaic period, the real status of the parties (fides as the 'credit' of the individual within the group); afterwards, an abstact stardard identified with the bonus vir. The two concepts developed therefore from early on an (outwardly) dualistic value: on the one side, the respect of the parties' agreement; on the other side, the respect of all the terms implied in the nature of the relationship.

Bona fides. Formazione, esecuzione e interpretazione del contratto nella tradizione civilistica (Parte seconda)

by Roberto Fiori

in AA.VV., Modelli teorici e metodologici nella storia del diritto privato 4, Napoli 2011, pp. 97-242

Second part of a study on good faith in the history of contract law. Aim of the study is a better understanding of the... more Second part of a study on good faith in the history of contract law. Aim of the study is a better understanding of the principle in each phase of its history, and an explanation - through the historical analysis - of some peculiar features of good faith in contemporary law. This second part deals with good faith in Roman law from its origins up to the I century AD. The following parts will be dealing with later Roman law and the civilian and common law traditions, up to the European civil codes and Anglo-American law.

Bona fides. Formazione, esecuzione e interpretazione del contratto nella tradizione civilistica (Parte prima)

by Roberto Fiori

in AA.VV., Modelli teorici e metodologici nella storia del diritto privato 2, Napoli 2006, pp. 127-228

First part of a study on good faith in the history of contract law. Aim of the study is a better understanding of the... more First part of a study on good faith in the history of contract law. Aim of the study is a better understanding of the principle in each phase of its history, and an explanation - through the historical analysis - of some peculiar features of good faith in contemporary law. This first part is introductory, and deals with the role of good faith in Italian private law. The following parts will be dealing with Roman law and the civilian and common law traditions, up to the European civil codes and Anglo-American law.