Vitet i svensk och engelsk rätt - Särskilt om vitesklausuler i kommersiella avtal underkastade svensk rätt
(2023) JURM02 20231Department of Law
Faculty of Law
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Vitesklausulen är ett vanligt förekommande avtalsvillkor, särskilt mellan kommersiella parter. Det är inte heller ovanligt att dessa vitesklausuler författas på det engelska språket. Anledningen (eller anledningarna) till varför avtalsparterna väljer engelska som avtalsspråk varierar, och bero-ende på anledningarna varierar också domstolens bedömning av vitesklau-sulen då svensk lag utgör avtalsstatut. Uppsatsen utgår från en rättsdogma-tisk och komparativ metod, där vitesklausuler undersöks enligt engelsk och svensk rätt. Dessutom utreder uppsatsen hur engelskförfattade vitesklausu-ler i ett avtal bedöms enligt svensk rätt.
Inom engelsk rätt utgör vitesklausulen antingen en liquidated damages-klausul eller en penalty-klausul. För att... (More) - Vitesklausulen är ett vanligt förekommande avtalsvillkor, särskilt mellan kommersiella parter. Det är inte heller ovanligt att dessa vitesklausuler författas på det engelska språket. Anledningen (eller anledningarna) till varför avtalsparterna väljer engelska som avtalsspråk varierar, och bero-ende på anledningarna varierar också domstolens bedömning av vitesklau-sulen då svensk lag utgör avtalsstatut. Uppsatsen utgår från en rättsdogma-tisk och komparativ metod, där vitesklausuler undersöks enligt engelsk och svensk rätt. Dessutom utreder uppsatsen hur engelskförfattade vitesklausu-ler i ett avtal bedöms enligt svensk rätt.
Inom engelsk rätt utgör vitesklausulen antingen en liquidated damages-klausul eller en penalty-klausul. För att avgöra vilken vitestyp det är fråga om använder sig engelsk rätt av två olika test. Det ena med sikte på om vitesbeloppet utgör en ”genuine pre-estimate of damage”. Det andra med sikte på om ett ”legitimate interest” skyddas av vitesklausulen. Vilka rätts-följder vitesklausulen får är helt beroende av domstolens klassificering.
När det gäller svensk rätt görs inte samma absoluta gränsdragning mel-lan olika vitestyper. Istället tolkar domstolen vad parternas syften varit med vitesklausulen och utifrån de identifierade syftena kan domstolen komma att jämka eller ogiltigförklara vitesklausulen i enlighet med 36 § AvtL. Uppsatsen presenterar vidare en särskild terminologi i syfte att förklara hur vitesklausulen bedöms enligt svensk rätt. Dessutom argumenterar uppsatsen för att syftet med vitet in dubio anses vara ersättande inom svensk rätt.
Uppsatsen identifierar ett antal likheter och skillnader mellan rättsord-ningarnas sätt att bedöma vitesklausuler. Utifrån dessa argumenterar upp-satsen för hur de engelska begreppen ”liquidated damages” och ”penalty” förhåller sig till den i uppsatsen presenterade terminologin enligt svensk rätt.
Om svensk rätt utgör avtalsstatut är det svensk avtalstolkning som avgör hur avtalet ska tolkas, även om avtalet skulle vara författat på engelska. Svensk avtalstolkning utesluter emellertid inte en tolkning enligt engelsk juridisk-teknisk innebörd. Utgångspunkten är dock att engelska begrepp översätts till svenska och förstås enligt svensk juridisk-teknisk innebörd. Uppsatsen föreslår därför att, då ett avtal författas på engelska, parterna bör förtydliga vilken juridisk-teknisk innebörd begreppen i avtalet ska förstås enligt. Sådana hänvisningar till domstolen är materiellrättsligt bindande för domstolen och inverkar därför på domstolens bedömning. Exempel på hur ett sådant avtalsvillkor kan utformas ges mot slutet av uppsatsen. (Less) - Abstract
- Clauses stipulating an agreed sum payable upon breach of contract are a common feature in contracts, especially in commercial contracts. For dif-ferent reason(s), such clauses are often written in English. The reason(s) for writing a contract in English may vary but affect how the clause is con-strued under Swedish law. The thesis uses both the legal dogmatic method and the comparative method, where clauses stipulating an agreed sum pay-able upon breach of contract are examined according to English and Swe-dish law respectively. Furthermore, the thesis examines how clauses stipu-lating an agreed sum payable upon breach of contract, written in the Eng-lish language, are construed according to Swedish law.
Within the English legal system, a... (More) - Clauses stipulating an agreed sum payable upon breach of contract are a common feature in contracts, especially in commercial contracts. For dif-ferent reason(s), such clauses are often written in English. The reason(s) for writing a contract in English may vary but affect how the clause is con-strued under Swedish law. The thesis uses both the legal dogmatic method and the comparative method, where clauses stipulating an agreed sum pay-able upon breach of contract are examined according to English and Swe-dish law respectively. Furthermore, the thesis examines how clauses stipu-lating an agreed sum payable upon breach of contract, written in the Eng-lish language, are construed according to Swedish law.
Within the English legal system, a clause stipulating an agreed sum pay-able upon breach of contract is either a liquidated damages clause or a pen-alty clause. When deciding how the clause shall be classified, the English legal system uses two different tests. One of them focuses on whether or not the sum stipulated constitutes a “genuine pre-estimate of damage”. The other focuses on whether or not a “legitimate interest” is protected by the clause. The legal effects given to the clause are completely dependent on the court’s classification.
Swedish law does not make the same definite classification. Rather, the court will try to understand the parties’ intentions with the clause. Based on the identified intentions, the court may then mitigate the stipulated sum or annul it in accordance with the Contracts Act 36 §. Furthermore, the thesis introduces a particular terminology with the purpose to explain how clauses stipulating an agreed sum payable upon breach of contract are construed under Swedish law. The thesis also argues that the parties’ intention with the clause, in dubio, is to indemnify the creditor.
As far as clauses stipulating an agreed sum payable upon contract are concerned, the thesis identifies several similarities and differences between the two legal systems. Based on those similarities and differences, the the-sis argues on how the English terms relates to the introduced terminology within Swedish law.
Despite a contract being written in English, as long as Swedish law con-stitutes the governing law, it is Swedish interpretation of a contract that determines how the contract shall be construed. Although Swedish interpre-tation of a contract applies, it is still possible that a legal term shall be con-strued in accordance with how it is construed within the English legal sys-tem. However, as a rule of thumb, English legal terms are translated to Swedish and construed in accordance with the Swedish legal system. Thus, the thesis argues that the parties should try to clarify how they intend a term to be construed. Such instructions to the court are binding on material grounds and therefore also have an influence on the court’s construction. Examples of such terms are given towards the end of the thesis. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9113771
- author
- Karlsson, Filip LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- Clauses stipulating an agreed sum payable upon breach of contract - Especially in commercial contracts governed by Swedish law
- course
- JURM02 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- keywords
- avtalsrätt, civilrätt (en. private law), förmögenhetsrätt, internationell privaträtt (en. private international law), komparativ rätt (en. comparative law), sjörätt, skadeståndsrätt, vite, avtalsvite, liquidated damages, penalty, Cavendish, Dunlop, ersättningsklausuler, avtalstolkning, jämkning, engelsk rätt, legitimate interest, genuine pre-estimate of damage, ansvarsbegränsning, begränsningsvite, ersättningsvite, påtryckningsvite, straffvite
- language
- Swedish
- id
- 9113771
- date added to LUP
- 2023-06-15 15:31:53
- date last changed
- 2023-06-15 15:31:53
@misc{9113771,
abstract = {{Clauses stipulating an agreed sum payable upon breach of contract are a common feature in contracts, especially in commercial contracts. For dif-ferent reason(s), such clauses are often written in English. The reason(s) for writing a contract in English may vary but affect how the clause is con-strued under Swedish law. The thesis uses both the legal dogmatic method and the comparative method, where clauses stipulating an agreed sum pay-able upon breach of contract are examined according to English and Swe-dish law respectively. Furthermore, the thesis examines how clauses stipu-lating an agreed sum payable upon breach of contract, written in the Eng-lish language, are construed according to Swedish law.
Within the English legal system, a clause stipulating an agreed sum pay-able upon breach of contract is either a liquidated damages clause or a pen-alty clause. When deciding how the clause shall be classified, the English legal system uses two different tests. One of them focuses on whether or not the sum stipulated constitutes a “genuine pre-estimate of damage”. The other focuses on whether or not a “legitimate interest” is protected by the clause. The legal effects given to the clause are completely dependent on the court’s classification.
Swedish law does not make the same definite classification. Rather, the court will try to understand the parties’ intentions with the clause. Based on the identified intentions, the court may then mitigate the stipulated sum or annul it in accordance with the Contracts Act 36 §. Furthermore, the thesis introduces a particular terminology with the purpose to explain how clauses stipulating an agreed sum payable upon breach of contract are construed under Swedish law. The thesis also argues that the parties’ intention with the clause, in dubio, is to indemnify the creditor.
As far as clauses stipulating an agreed sum payable upon contract are concerned, the thesis identifies several similarities and differences between the two legal systems. Based on those similarities and differences, the the-sis argues on how the English terms relates to the introduced terminology within Swedish law.
Despite a contract being written in English, as long as Swedish law con-stitutes the governing law, it is Swedish interpretation of a contract that determines how the contract shall be construed. Although Swedish interpre-tation of a contract applies, it is still possible that a legal term shall be con-strued in accordance with how it is construed within the English legal sys-tem. However, as a rule of thumb, English legal terms are translated to Swedish and construed in accordance with the Swedish legal system. Thus, the thesis argues that the parties should try to clarify how they intend a term to be construed. Such instructions to the court are binding on material grounds and therefore also have an influence on the court’s construction. Examples of such terms are given towards the end of the thesis.}},
author = {{Karlsson, Filip}},
language = {{swe}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Vitet i svensk och engelsk rätt - Särskilt om vitesklausuler i kommersiella avtal underkastade svensk rätt}},
year = {{2023}},
}