基于合同目的与实务研判的守约方认可规则研究

On"Observant Party's Recognition"Rule Based on Contractual Purpose and Practical Research

国际货物贸易合同构成根本违约,意味着合同目的不达,并进而影响合同效力。如果守约方的某些认可行为能够补正合同目的实现,则应当从法律层面予以认可,以尽量实现国际货物贸易合同的履行效率。守约方认可规则的基本表述为:国际贸易合同存在守约方与违约方,且守约方主张根本违约;违约方虽不得积极主张根本违约,但享有特殊抗辩权以避免合同过快落入根本违约的境地;在现有法律框架下,守约方认可仍是一种实践性法律推定而非成文规范,不包括守约方对违约行为的明确接受、对违约方的债务免除或者与违约方进行重新协商等情形。这一规则已在《联合国国际货物销售合同公约》中初见端倪。实践中,我国司法实务已经通过案例审判确立了部分关于守约方认可的法律规则,如守约方自行达到合同目的、合理履约行为以及可作为守约方认可替代标准的第三人的认可等。当事人应当认识到守约方认可规则的合理因素与潜在利益,从违约方和守约方的两种视角充分利用这一规则,尽可能避免合同走向根本违约的境地。

The fundamental breach of contract means that the contract's essential purpose is frustrated,and then affects its validity.If some recognition of the non-breaching party can supplement the purpose of the contract,it should be recognized from the legal level,so as to achieve the performance efficiency of the international trade in goods contract.The basic expression of the recognition rule of the observant party is as follows:there is a nonbreaching party and the breaching party in an international trade contract,and the non-breaching party claims a fundamental breach;Although the breaching party may not actively claim the fundamental breach,it has the special defense right to prevent the contract from being deemed fundamental breach too quickly.Under the existing legal framework,recognition of the observant party is still a practical legal presumption rather than a written norm.This excludes the non-breaching party's explicit acceptance of the breaching act,the cancellation of the breaching party's debt or the renegotiation with the breaching party.Such a rule has already appeared in the CISG Convention.In practice,our country's judicial practice has established some legal rules regarding the accreditation of non-breaching parties through case trials,such as the non-breaching party to achieve the purpose of the contract,reasonable performance behavior,and the third party accreditation who can be used as the alternative standard of non-breaching party accreditation.The parties should recognize the reasonable factors and potential benefits of the non-breaching party recognition rules,and make full use of these rules from the perspectives of the breaching party and the nonbreaching party to avoid the situation of fundamental breach of contract.