涉外代理关系准据法的确定

Determination of the Applicable Law to Agency Involving Foreign Elements

涉外民事关系法律适用法第16条对代理类型、连结对象与连结点的界定均不清晰,需从学理上予以重述。第1款中的“代理”不能径直依民法来解释,宜从功能识别与目的识别的原理出发,将法定代理与机关代理排除在外,而仅指涉意定代理。代理实体法的学说与体系构造影响着冲突规则的设置。无论是从实体法还是冲突法的立场出发,我国都应采纳德国的意定代理权独立连结理论,而非混合继受英国法与海牙《代理法律适用公约》。继受该德国学说时,需明确代理内部基础关系与外部法律行为均可在第16条之外找到对应的冲突规则,第16条的连结对象只为意定代理权。第16条第1款前段的“代理”应进一步限缩解释为意定代理权,第1款但书未来宜完全删除。在依第16条规定的主、客观连结点确定意定代理权的准据法时,应依实体类型作精细化的利益衡量,从而具体化连结点的运用。

The provisions on the types of agency,the objects of connection and the connecting factors in the Law on Choice of Law for Foreign-related Civil Relationships are all ambiguous and need to be redefined from the academic perspective.The“agency”in Art.16.1 should not be interpreted directly in accordance with the civil law,but should,on the basis of the theory of functional qualification and teleological qualification,autonomously be interpreted as excluding statutory representation and representation by company organs,and only referring to voluntary agency.The doctrine and structure of the substantive law of agency affect the construction of conflicts rules for agency.Considering both reasons from the substantive law and the conflict of laws,Chinese legislature should adopt the German theory of“independent determination of applicable law for authority”,rather than transplant the rules from English conflict of laws and the Hague Convention on the Law Applicable to Agency.In adopting the German theory,China should make it clear that conflict rules applicable to a contract between a principal and an agent or a contract with a third party can be found outside Art.16 and that authority is the only object of connection in Art.16.The“agency”in Art.16.1 should be interpreted more restrictively as authority,and the proviso in this paragraph should be removed in future revision of the law.When subjective and objective connecting factors are employed to decide the applicable law,elaborate balance of interests should be made in light of different types of substantive law,so as to concretize the employment of connecting factors.