2011年10月14日 星期五

試析「船舶貨物裝卸承攬契約」之重要條款(拾)

貳拾肆、【準據法與管轄權(Applicable Law and Jurisdiction)】:
(建議條文一):
This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law.

Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be referred to arbitration in London in accordance with the Arbitration Act 1996 or any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof save to the extent necessary to give effect to the provisions of this Clause.

The arbitration shall be to three arbitrators. A party wishing to refer a dispute to arbitration shall appoint its arbitrator and send notice of such appointment in writing to the other party requiring the other party to appoint its own arbitrator within fourteen (14) calendar days of that notice and stating that it will appoint its arbitrator as sole arbitrator unless the other party appoints its own arbitrator and gives notice that it has done so within the 14 days specified.

If the other party does not appoint its own arbitrator and give notice that it has done so within the fourteen (14) days specified, the party referring a dispute to arbitration may, without the requirement of any further prior notice to the other party, appoint its arbitrator as sole arbitrator and shall advise the other part accordingly. The award of a sole arbitrator shall be binding on both parties as if he has been appointed by agreement.
(譯文):
本契約受英國法的管轄與解釋。

任何因本契約所產生的爭議,悉提交英國倫敦仲裁,並在不影響本條款效力的情況下,遵守西元1996年的仲裁法、其增修法案,或更新法案的相關規定。

當仲裁程序開始時,仲裁程序悉依當時「倫敦海事仲裁員協會」(LMAA)的規定辦理。

基本上仲裁員應有3名。提交仲裁的當事人應指定其仲裁員,並以書面通知他方,同時要求他方在14天之內指定其自己的仲裁員。若他方未在指定期限內指定其本身的仲裁員者,則提交仲裁的一方當事人所指定的仲裁員,即成為唯一的仲裁員。

如果他方未能在14天之內指定其本身的仲裁員者,則提交仲裁的一方當事人,即得在毋庸繼續通知他方的情況下,將其本身所指定的仲裁員列為本案中的唯一仲裁員,而這唯一指定仲裁員所為的判斷則將拘束雙方當事人。

(建議條文二):
Nothing in this Clause shall prevent the parties agreeing in writing to vary these provisions to provide for the appointment of a sole arbitrator.

In cases where neither the claim nor the counterclaim exceeds the sum of US Dollars fifty thousand (USD50,000) or such other sum as the parties may agree, the arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the LMAA (London Maritime Arbitrations’ Association) Small Claims Procedure current at the time when the arbitration proceedings are commenced.

Judgment upon the award rendered may be entered in any court having jurisdiction or application may be made to such court for a judicial acceptance of the award and an order of enforcement, as the case may be.

The parties shall use every reasonable endeavor to resolve disputes between them in the shortest possible time consistent with the proper presentation to the expert or arbitration tribunal of their submissions and evidence. The parties will in particular seek, in the absence of any reasonable excuse, to make such submissions and present such evidence within a period of thirty (30) days from the commencement of the proceedings. In the event of unreasonable delay by either party, the expert or the arbitration tribunal shall be entitled to make an award even if that party has failed to make or complete its submissions.
(譯文):
本條款中並未禁止雙方當事人書面合意增修契約,而改採單一仲裁員仲裁的方式為之。

假設索賠案件或其反訴標的所涉及的金額未能超過美金5萬元者(或其他雙方所同意的金額),則仲裁程序即應依照「倫敦海事仲裁人協會」的小額訴訟程序進行。

仲裁判斷出爐後,仍得視個案而定,選擇向有管轄權法院聲請判決,或聲請司法裁定認可之後,隨之進行強制執行的動作。

在不影響對專家或仲裁庭提示證據的情況下,契約雙方應盡一切合理的努力,來解決雙方之間的爭議。在缺乏合理藉口的情況下,契約雙方應特別尋求在程序開始後30天內即提示前開證據。假設契約另一方出現不合理遲延現象的話,則專家或仲裁庭依舊有權在沒有前開證據提示的情況下,做成仲裁判斷。

(說明):
「準據法與管轄」條款,可說是在一般契約中均可以見到的條款,說它簡單可算是簡單,說它制式亦可說是最常見,但其中「學問」之深與內容之廣泛,則足以寫成一本專書。蓋其中對於準據法與管轄地點的「選擇」,可說是「牽一髮而動全局」,祇是如何確定契約所選擇的準據法與管轄地點,是對自己最為「有利」的?當然首要前提,必須是當事人自己最熟悉的,且不是屬於「專屬管轄」的案件,始有可能(如果案件性質係屬於所謂具強制性的「專屬管轄」者,則亦不得由當事人自由選擇)。祇是有時候自己最熟悉的法令,在特殊個案中亦可能不是對自己最有利的法令。因此如何選擇,必須視個別情況而定,在請教過法律專家、律師之後,更應該視自己的實際需求,審慎評估所有的利弊得失之後,始得做出最後與最佳的判斷。而此一判斷,有時候亦常常是個案中最重要的決定。因此當事人斷不得在不經過深思熟慮後,即倉促做出攸關「準據法與管轄權」的選擇。

貳拾伍、【結語】:
本文從開頭到結尾,攸關「船舶貨物裝卸承攬」的這項專題,總共談了23個主要議題,但這其中並沒有涉及諸多「商業上的條款」(譬如說:Berth Productivity(碼頭生產力),即計算每一支吊桿在實際作業時,可以達到的「生產率」到底有多高,以計算碼頭公司未能達到約定標準時的損害賠償金額。其計算公式為:Berth Productivity=Total Moves/Berth Hours),或「技術上的條款」(譬如說:碼頭靠泊計劃,碼頭公司與客戶兩者間,應該如何相互配合的問題,或冷凍櫃、特殊櫃應該如何特別處置的問題等),但藉由介紹在「船舶貨物裝卸承攬」中一般常見的條款,以提供業者與碼頭公司在訂定契約時,可供遵循與思考的模式與方向,乃是本文撰寫的最大目的(全文完)。

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