英美法合同解释制度的历史变迁及发展革新

The Historical Change and Development of the Contract Interpretation System in the Common Law

英美法文本主义模式的合同解释制度发端于古典契约形式主义盛行时期,该模式基于契约自由原则和完全合同假设之上,对合同文本之外的外部证据持排斥态度。但是随着社会的变迁,传统文本主义模式下的合同解释制度的弊端日益显现,与之相反的语境主义解释模式逐渐发展并成为现代英美法合同解释制度的主流。合同解释相关核心术语语义及使用的流变反映了上述演变过程。许多英美合同法重要的法律文件对语境主义合同解释制度都有所规定。语境主义合同解释制度的特征在于法官广泛采纳交易过程、履约过程、行业惯例等外部证据来解释合同文本,其有利于反对法律解释上的形式主义,克服法律规定的僵化,但是这种制度存在增加当事人诉讼成本、对第三人不公平、破坏法律的稳定性等局限。在合同法各种规则的制约下,通过对合同语境范围进行合理的限制,严格遵循公平合理的解释机制,语境主义合同解释制度也在不断完善。

The contract interpretation of the textualism model of the common law originated in the prevalence of classical contract formalism.This model is based on the principle of freedom of contract and the assumption of complete contract,and it rejects evidence outside the contract text.However,with the change of society,the disadvantages of the contract interpretation system under the traditional textualism model are becoming increasingly apparent.In contrast,the contextualism interpretation model has gradually developed into the mainstream model of the contract interpretation system of modern common law.The changes in the semantics and usage of core terms related to contract interpretation reflect the above-mentioned evolution process.Many important legal documents of Anglo-American contract law have provisions for the contextualism contract interpretation system.The contextualism contract interpretation system is characterized with the judge’s extensive use of external evidence such as transaction process,fulfillment of contract,and industrial practice to interpret the contract text.It helps to oppose the formalism in legal interpretation and avoid the rigidity of legal provisions.But this system increases litigation cost,is unfair to the third party,and undermines the stability of law.Under the constraints of various rules of the contract law,the contextualism contract interpretation system is constantly improved by reasonably restricting the scope of the contract context and strictly following the fair and reasonable interpretation mechanism.