论不可抗力制度

不可抗力是跨越合同责任和侵权责任的重要概念,该术语起源于法国,但却融入英美法和其他大陆法国家。在不同法律传统下,不可抗力的内涵及外延都有所不同且具有弹性,其法律预定的效果也绝非仅限于免除责任,还应包括解除合同和延期履行等。笔者认为,只有当不可抗力成为债务履行受阻的最近、唯一和关键原因时,才能引起预定的法律效果,即缓和民事义务以及分配交易风险的制度功效。

Beyond the contract liability and the torts liaility,the significant term of the force majeure originated in France but has integrated in the common law system and other civil law countries.The concept connotation and extension of the force majeure differ with flexibility in different legal traditions.The predetermined legal effets of the force majeure do not exclusively limit to the exemption liability but include the contract discharge and the delayed performance.The author expounds that only when the force majeure constitutes the approximate,exlusive and key cause for the obstruction of obligation performance will it cause the predetermined legal effects of alleviating the civil obligations and allocationg the transaction risk.