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Lojalitetsplikten i långvariga kommersiella avtal – Med särskild utblick mot kvardröjande och framtida förpliktelser

Lindgren, Eric LU (2014) LAGM01 20142
Department of Law
Abstract
The duty of loyalty, also known as the principle of loyalty, is regarded as a general principle of law in Swedish contract law. It implies a duty to observe the interests of the counter-party beyond the regulated obligations in the contract. Different definitions of the duty of loyalty do not give much advice as of how it should be interpreted. Therefore, what is relevant is how the principle is being used. In general the duty of loyalty rests on unstated duties, which originates from the conditions of the specific contractual relationship. The principle’s importance in long-term commercial contracts is uncertain and this thesis makes an attempt to try and clarify the picture with a special focus on the duty of loyalty in joint venture... (More)
The duty of loyalty, also known as the principle of loyalty, is regarded as a general principle of law in Swedish contract law. It implies a duty to observe the interests of the counter-party beyond the regulated obligations in the contract. Different definitions of the duty of loyalty do not give much advice as of how it should be interpreted. Therefore, what is relevant is how the principle is being used. In general the duty of loyalty rests on unstated duties, which originates from the conditions of the specific contractual relationship. The principle’s importance in long-term commercial contracts is uncertain and this thesis makes an attempt to try and clarify the picture with a special focus on the duty of loyalty in joint venture agreements and contracts for building works. At the same time the question is asked whether an omit or breach of the duty of loyalty with success can be invoked in courts as a separate cause of action in support of a claim for performance, damages and/or a right to cancellation.

In the light of a relatively new arbitration award the thesis also looks into how the ground for judgement turns out in a dispute regarding the validity of contract clauses, which extends beyond the contractual period and stipulates remaining and/or future obligations. The ambition of the thesis is to study the post-contractual liability on the basis of such obligations, since they are not always performed with reference to the contract being terminated and the regulation of the obligations not being sufficiently detailed to be able to win legal effect after the contractual period has ended. The thesis uses legal dogmatic method and the legal doctrine makes up the main source of information. Case-law is also being regarded in the thesis and although the case-law in a sense disfavours the duty of loyalty, the ethics of the principle in general still seems to influence the legal discourse in higher court and in the Supreme Court.


According to the thesis the importance of the duty of loyalty in long-term commercial contracts is totally dependent on the specific situation and much dependent on the type of contract, the position of the parties, the parties expectations and also the character of the specific legal relationship. The thesis shows that the Swedish contract law probably is incomplete when it comes to the judgement of post-contractual obligations and that a greater respect to the strong relation-based foundation in long-term contracts where the duty of loyalty is given an increased role would be able to contribute to a clarification of the legal position and to the development of the law on the area. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Lojalitetsplikten, även benämnd lojalitetsprincipen, är en allmän rättsprincip i svensk avtalsrätt som innebär en plikt att beakta motpartens intressen utö-ver avtalets reglerade utfästelser. Definitioner av lojalitetsplikten ger inte mycket ledning för hur den ska förstås. Vad som därför är relevant är hur begreppet används. Generellt vilar lojalitetsplikten på outtalade förpliktelser som utgår från det enskilda avtalsförhållandets förutsättningar. Principens betydelse för långvariga kommersiella avtal är oklar och denna uppsats gör ett försök att förtydliga bilden med särskilt fokus på lojalitetsplikten i sam-verkansavtal och entreprenadavtal. Samtidigt ställs frågan om ett åsidosät-tande eller brytande av lojalitetsplikten som... (More)
Lojalitetsplikten, även benämnd lojalitetsprincipen, är en allmän rättsprincip i svensk avtalsrätt som innebär en plikt att beakta motpartens intressen utö-ver avtalets reglerade utfästelser. Definitioner av lojalitetsplikten ger inte mycket ledning för hur den ska förstås. Vad som därför är relevant är hur begreppet används. Generellt vilar lojalitetsplikten på outtalade förpliktelser som utgår från det enskilda avtalsförhållandets förutsättningar. Principens betydelse för långvariga kommersiella avtal är oklar och denna uppsats gör ett försök att förtydliga bilden med särskilt fokus på lojalitetsplikten i sam-verkansavtal och entreprenadavtal. Samtidigt ställs frågan om ett åsidosät-tande eller brytande av lojalitetsplikten som självständig grund med fram-gång kan åberopas till stöd för fullgörelse, skadestånd och/eller hävning.

I uppsatsen belyses också, mot bakgrund av ett relativt nytt skiljeavgörande, hur bedömningsgrunden gestaltar sig vid tvist beträffande giltigheten för avtalsklausuler som sträcker sig bortom avtalets löptid och stipulerar kvar-dröjande och/eller framtida förpliktelser. Uppsatsens ambition är att närmre studera det postkontraktuella ansvaret utifrån sådana förpliktelser eftersom dessa inte alltid fullgörs med hänvisning till att avtalet upphört och att regle-ringen av förpliktelserna inte var tillräckligt preciserad för att kunna vinna rättsverkan efter avtalstiden. Uppsatsen använder rättsdogmatisk metod och den huvudsakliga källan för undersökningen utgörs av doktrin. Rättspraxis beaktas också och den behandlar lojalitetsplikten missgynnsamt men dess etik tycks i allmänhet genomsyra rättsdiskursen i högre instans.

Enligt uppsatsen är lojalitetspliktens innebörd i långvariga kommersiella avtal helt avhängig den enskilda situationen och mycket beroende av avtals-typen, partsställningen, parternas förväntningar samt det enskilda rättsför-hållandets karaktär. Uppsatsen visar att avtalsrätten när det gäller bedöm-ningen av postkontraktuella förpliktelser antagligen är ofullständig och att ett större hänsynstagande till den starka relationsbaserade grundvalen i långvariga avtal där lojalitetsplikten ges en utökad roll skulle kunna bidra till ett klargörande av rättsläget och till rättsutvecklingen på området. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Lindgren, Eric LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
The duty of loyalty in long-term commercial contracts – With a particular view of remaining and future obligations
course
LAGM01 20142
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
Avtalsrätt, Commercial Law, Contract Law, Entreprenadrätt, Construction Law, Lojalitetsplikt, The Duty of Loyalty, Lojalitetsprincipen, The principle of Loyalty, Good faith and fair dealing, Långvariga avtal, Long-term contracts, Samverkansavtal, Joint venture agreements, Entreprenadavtal, Contracts for building works, Framtida förpliktelser, Future obligations, Remaining obligations, Kvardröjande förpliktelser, Förmögenhetsrätt, Post-contractual liability, Postkontraktuellt ansvar
language
Swedish
id
4925026
date added to LUP
2015-04-21 14:38:53
date last changed
2015-04-21 14:38:53
@misc{4925026,
  abstract     = {{The duty of loyalty, also known as the principle of loyalty, is regarded as a general principle of law in Swedish contract law. It implies a duty to observe the interests of the counter-party beyond the regulated obligations in the contract. Different definitions of the duty of loyalty do not give much advice as of how it should be interpreted. Therefore, what is relevant is how the principle is being used. In general the duty of loyalty rests on unstated duties, which originates from the conditions of the specific contractual relationship. The principle’s importance in long-term commercial contracts is uncertain and this thesis makes an attempt to try and clarify the picture with a special focus on the duty of loyalty in joint venture agreements and contracts for building works. At the same time the question is asked whether an omit or breach of the duty of loyalty with success can be invoked in courts as a separate cause of action in support of a claim for performance, damages and/or a right to cancellation.

In the light of a relatively new arbitration award the thesis also looks into how the ground for judgement turns out in a dispute regarding the validity of contract clauses, which extends beyond the contractual period and stipulates remaining and/or future obligations. The ambition of the thesis is to study the post-contractual liability on the basis of such obligations, since they are not always performed with reference to the contract being terminated and the regulation of the obligations not being sufficiently detailed to be able to win legal effect after the contractual period has ended. The thesis uses legal dogmatic method and the legal doctrine makes up the main source of information. Case-law is also being regarded in the thesis and although the case-law in a sense disfavours the duty of loyalty, the ethics of the principle in general still seems to influence the legal discourse in higher court and in the Supreme Court.


According to the thesis the importance of the duty of loyalty in long-term commercial contracts is totally dependent on the specific situation and much dependent on the type of contract, the position of the parties, the parties expectations and also the character of the specific legal relationship. The thesis shows that the Swedish contract law probably is incomplete when it comes to the judgement of post-contractual obligations and that a greater respect to the strong relation-based foundation in long-term contracts where the duty of loyalty is given an increased role would be able to contribute to a clarification of the legal position and to the development of the law on the area.}},
  author       = {{Lindgren, Eric}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Lojalitetsplikten i långvariga kommersiella avtal – Med särskild utblick mot kvardröjande och framtida förpliktelser}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}