chapter2 Parties to the Contract.docx
- 文档编号:9496139
- 上传时间:2023-02-04
- 格式:DOCX
- 页数:46
- 大小:65.84KB
chapter2 Parties to the Contract.docx
《chapter2 Parties to the Contract.docx》由会员分享,可在线阅读,更多相关《chapter2 Parties to the Contract.docx(46页珍藏版)》请在冰豆网上搜索。
chapter2PartiestotheContract
Chapter2
PartiestotheContract
General
2.1Lines2and3oftheNewYorkProduceformprovideaspaceinwhichthenameoftheownersistobeinsertedandLine12providesaspaceforthecharterers’name.Inmostmodernversionsoftheformthereis,atthebottomoftheprintedform,asigningspacefortheownersandforthecharterers.Thecharterisnormallysignedeitherbytheownersandcharterersthemselvesorontheirbehalfbyanagent,suchasamanagerorashipbroker.
2.2Thischapterdealswiththreeprincipalsubjects:
(a)howthepartiestothecharterareidentified,incasesofdoubt;(b)therightsandobligationsthatmayarisewhenacharterisconcluded—orpurportedlyconcluded—throughagents;and(c)theexceptionalcasesinwhichpersonsotherthanthepartiesareboundbythecharter,oracquirerightsunderit.
Identifyingtheparties
2.3Normallythereisnodifficultyinidentifyingthepartiestothecharter.Butwherethereisuncertainty,theproperapproachtoresolvingitdependsonhowthecontractwasmade.
2.4Usually,chartersaremadeinwriting;eithertheparties’agreementiscontainedinasignedcharterortheagreementismadeinanexchangeofemailsorfaxes.Insuchcases,theidentificationofthepartiesdependsupontheconstructionofthedocumentswhichconstitutethecontract:
seeShogunFinancev.Hudson[2004]1A.C.919,perLordPhillipsatpage972.Inotherwords,itdependsuponthemeaningofthosedocumentsasunderstoodbyareasonablereaderequippedwithknowledgeoftherelevantbackgroundthatthepartieshadorwouldreasonablybesupposedtohavehad.
2.5Inothercases,chartersaremadepartlyorallyandpartlyinwritingas,forexample,whereacharterisnegotiatedbothonthetelephoneandbyexchangeofemails.Insuchcases,theidentityofthepartieshastobeestablishedbyconsideringasawholethedocumentsandtheconversationswhichconstitutethecontract:
seeTheWinner[1986]1Lloyd’sRep.36,perEvans,J.,atpage44and,asanexample,TheSuwalki[1989]1Lloyd’sRep.511,perSteyn,J.,atpages512and513.
2.6Althoughtherearejudicialstatementswhichsuggestthattheidentityofapartytoacontractisaquestionoffact:
see,forexample,LordMillettinTheStarsin[2004]1A.C.715,atpage775,itissuggestedthatsuchstatementsshouldbetreatedwithcaution.
Theimportanceofthesignature
2.7Inseekingtoidentifytheparties,thecourtwilllookattherelevantdocument(ordocuments)asawhole.However,thewayinwhichanagreementhasbeensignedistreatedasbeingofspecialimportance.
TheElikonwasfixedonavoyagecharterwhichidentifiedtheownersas“SphinxNavigationLtd,Liberiac/oInternautShippingGmbH”.Thecharterwassigned,inaboxwiththeprintedheading“Signature/Owners”,byInternautShippingwithoutanyqualificationindicatingthattheysignedonlyasagents.ThequestionarosewhethertheownersunderthecharterwereSphinxNavigationorInternautShipping.TheCourtofAppealheldthatInternautShippinghadcontractedasowners,theformofthesignaturebeingofcriticalimportance.
InternautShippingv.Fercometal(TheElikon)[2003]2Lloyd’sRep.430(C.A.).
Lookingatthefactualbackground
2.8Wherethetermsofacharterareinsufficientbythemselvestoidentifytheparties,thecourtwilllookattherelevantfactualbackgroundtoresolvetheuncertainty.Forexample,whereacharterdoesnotnametheowners,butidentifiesthemmerelyas,say,“thedisponentowners”oftheship,thecourtwilllookatthefactualbackgroundtoidentifywhomthecharterwasintendedtobind.
AcharterofTheDoubleHappinesswasnegotiatedonbehalfof“owners”who,intheemailscontainingthecontract,werenotidentifiedotherthanasthedisponentownersoftheshipinquestionandasmembersofaparticulargroupofcompanies.Langley,J.,heldthatthecharterboundtheonlycompanythatfittedthatdescription.
TheDoubleHappiness[2007]2Lloyd’sRep.131.
2.9Similarly,wherethetermsofachartercontaincontradictoryindicationsastowhichoftwopersonsisintendedtobeboundbythecharter,thecourtwilllookatthefactualbackgroundtoresolvetheuncertainty.
Acontractwasexecutedbyapartyreferredtointhecontractas“DDTEngineeringLtd”.Twodifferentcompanieshad,atdifferenttimes,usedthatname(althoughonlyoneofthemwasproperlycalledDDTEngineeringLtdatthetimethecontractwasexecuted).Thetermsofthecontractcontainedcontradictoryindicationsastowhichofthetwohadexecutedit.Thecourtlookedatthebackgroundtothecontract,andinparticularitscommercialpurpose,todeterminewhichcompanywasbound:
seepage220,paragraph32.
DDTTrucksv.DDTHoldings[2007]2Lloyd’sRep.213.
(See,foranotherexampleoftheuseofbackgroundinformationtoresolvedoubt,TheElikon,above,[2003]2Lloyd’sRep.430(C.A.),perRix,L.J.,atpage441,paragraphs55and56.)
Misnomer
2.10Insomecases,whenacharterisconsideredagainsttherelevantfactualbackground,itbecomesclearthatapartyintendedtobeboundhasbeenreferredtobythewrongname.Insuchcases—calledcasesofmisnomer—thecourtwilllookbeyondthemistake,construingthecharterasiftherightnamehadbeenusedinthedocument.Thisisanapplicationofthewiderprinciplethatafalsedescriptiondoesnotvitiateacontract,ifthecontractasawholemakesclearwhatismeant.Correctingmisnomerisapartoftheprocessofconstruction;itisnotanautonomousprincipleoflaw;perLangley,J.,inTheDoubleHappiness[2007]2Lloyd’sRep.131,atpages136to137.
2.11Oftencasesofmisnomerinvolveacontractwhichnamesanon-existentpersonasapartyinplaceofthepersonintendedtobenamed:
seeGoldsmithv.Baxter[1970]Ch.85andTheTutova[2007]1Lloyd’sRep.104.Insuchcases,thereisabindingcontractwiththeintendedpartyprovidedthatareasonablereaderofthecontractwouldregardtheintendedpartyashavingbeensufficientlyidentifiedbyhischaracteristics.
2.12Thecourtcanalsocorrectamisnomerwhere,readingthecontractagainstitsfactualbackground,itisclearthatthecontractmistakenlynamesoneexistingperson,intendingtonameanother:
see,byanalogy,Nittanv.SolentSteelFabrications[1981]1Lloyd’sRep.633.
2.13However,thiscanonlybedonewherethetermsofthecontractasawhole,togetherwiththerelevantbackground,makeclearwhowasintendedtobenamed.Henceacourtisunlikelytofindthatamisnomerhasoccurredwherethecontractasawholecouldreasonablybeconstruedasintendedtobindthepersonsactuallynamedinthecontract:
seethecommentsofRix,L.J.,inDumfordTradingv.OAOAtlantrybflot[2005]1Lloyd'sRep.289,paragraphs32to38.
2.14Insomecaseswhereanamingmistakecannotbecorrectedasamatterofconstruction,itmaystillbepossibletocorrectthemistakebyrectification.So,whereacharterismistakenlydrawnupinsuchawaythatitpurportstobindAandB,thecourtmaybeabletorectifythedocumentordocumentscontainingthecharterifitcanbeshownthattheagreementwasinfactintendedtobemadebetweenAandC:
see,forexample,TheRhodianRiver[1984]1Lloyd’sRep.373,perBingham,J.,atpage377.
Agreementsprovidingforthenominationorsubstitutionofparties
2.15Chartersaresometimesnegotiatedonthebasisthatonepartyis“tobenominated”bysomeotherperson.Insuchcasesitisdifficulttoseehowinprincipleacontractcanariseuntilthenominationismade.Yet,inTheWave[1981]1Lloyd’sRep.521,Mustill,J.,held,atpage528,thatacharterhadbeenvalidlyconcludedbyaparentcompany,Coastal,actingonbehalfofaCoastalsubsidiary“tobenominated”.
2.16Chartersalsosometimesprovidethatonepartymaybereplacedbyasubstituteparty.Insuchcases,ifandwhenasubstitutionismade,thecharterisnovatedwiththesubstituteparty.Questionsmaythenariseastowhetherthesubstitutepartyundertakestheexistingliabilitiesofthepersonhereplacesandalsoastowhetherthepersonreplacedremainsunderanyliability.Theanswertosuchquestionsdependsontheconstructionoftherelevanttermsofthecharter:
see,generally,Lorentzenv.WhiteShipping(1942)74Ll.L.Rep.161,perAtkinson,J.,atpage165,andChatsworthInvestmentsv.Cussins[1969]1W.L.R.1.
Contractsmadebyorthroughagents
2.17Chartersareveryoftennegotiatedandconcludedbyorthroughagentsactingonbehalfoftheparties.Forthisreason,inordertoestablishwhomaysueandbesueditisoftennecessarytoapplythegeneralrulesofthelawofagency.
2.18Theeffectofagencyisconsideredunderfiveheads:
(a)theagent’sauthoritytomakeornegotiateacharter;(b)chartersmadebyagentsonbehalfofanacknowledgedordisclosedprincipal;(c)chartersmadebyagentsonbehalfofanunacknowledgedorundisclosedprincipal;(d)contractsmadebyagentsactinginexcessoftheirauthority;and(e)contractsmadebypretendedagents.
Theauthorityoftheagent
Anagent’sactualauthority
2.19Anagent’sactualauthorityiswhatheisauthorisedtodobyhisprincipal.Actualauthorityisbasedonagreementorconsent:
“therelationshipofprincipalandagentcanonlybeestablishedbytheconsentoftheprincipalandtheagent…theconsentmusthavebeengivenbyeachofthem,eitherexpresslyorbyimplicationfromtheirwordsorconduct”:
seeGarnacv.HMFFaure[1968]A.C.1130,perLordPearsonatpage1137.
2.20Actualauthoritymaybeexpressorimplied.Inpractice,thecommonestkindofimpliedauthorityisauthorityarisingfromtheagent’spositionoremployment.Thisiscalledusualauthority.
- 配套讲稿:
如PPT文件的首页显示word图标,表示该PPT已包含配套word讲稿。双击word图标可打开word文档。
- 特殊限制:
部分文档作品中含有的国旗、国徽等图片,仅作为作品整体效果示例展示,禁止商用。设计者仅对作品中独创性部分享有著作权。
- 关 键 词:
- chapter2 Parties to the Contract
![提示](https://static.bdocx.com/images/bang_tan.gif)