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Vigilans- och lojalitetsprincipen - En kritisk analys av Högsta domstolens senaste avgöranden vid passivitetsverkan i ett längre avtalsförhållande

Lindström, Madeleine LU (2024) LAGF03 20241
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
The Swedish Supreme Court has stated that the principle of loyalty is a prerequisite to a long-term contractual relationship. Notably absent from the grounds of the judgements is the principle of vigilance, which is considered in doctrine to be an opposing principle to loyalty. In this thesis, the principle of vigilance means that a contracting party should protect its own interests. Since this principle does not have a prominent role in Swedish contract law, the relationship between the principles is relatively unexplored. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the principles of loyalty and vigilance, as well as general contractual principles of passivity, in the Swedish Supreme Court's cases in NJA 2017 s. 203 and NJA 2018 s. 171.... (More)
The Swedish Supreme Court has stated that the principle of loyalty is a prerequisite to a long-term contractual relationship. Notably absent from the grounds of the judgements is the principle of vigilance, which is considered in doctrine to be an opposing principle to loyalty. In this thesis, the principle of vigilance means that a contracting party should protect its own interests. Since this principle does not have a prominent role in Swedish contract law, the relationship between the principles is relatively unexplored. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the principles of loyalty and vigilance, as well as general contractual principles of passivity, in the Swedish Supreme Court's cases in NJA 2017 s. 203 and NJA 2018 s. 171. Additionally, the paper aims to compare the principles of loyalty and vigilance in these cases, as well as examine their impact on passivity within longer contractual relationships.

The paper is based on a legal dogmatic method to answer the research questions. It concludes that the judgements of the Swedish Supreme Court are based on a balancing of the principles of loyalty and vigilance. Furthermore, the paper confirms that the principles interact and serve as opposing forces between two contracting parties in a long-term contractual relationship. However, this does not prevent a contracting party from adhering to both principles simultaneously, provided there is no conflict between the party’s own interests and those of the other contracting party. Finally, the paper concludes that the principles of loyalty and vigilance have no impact on passivity. To prevent a situation where passivity leads to legal effects, the contracting parties should act in accordance with both principles of loyalty and vigilance. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Högsta domstolen har konstaterat att lojal samverkan är en förutsättning i ett längre avtalsförhållande. Vad som uttryckligen utelämnas i domskälen är vigilansprincipen som enligt doktrin utgör en tydlig motprincip till lojalitetsprincipen. Vigilansprincipen tar sikte på att en avtalspart ska tillvarata sina egna intressen. Med anledning av att vigilansprincipen inte har en framträdande roll inom avtalsrätten är förhållandet mellan principerna relativt outforskat. Syftet med uppsatsen är att analysera vigilans- och lojalitetsprincipen, samt allmänna avtalsrättsliga principer knutna till passivitet, i Högsta domstolens avgöranden i NJA 2017 s. 203 och NJA 2018 s. 171. Vidare syftar uppsatsen till att jämföra vigilans- och... (More)
Högsta domstolen har konstaterat att lojal samverkan är en förutsättning i ett längre avtalsförhållande. Vad som uttryckligen utelämnas i domskälen är vigilansprincipen som enligt doktrin utgör en tydlig motprincip till lojalitetsprincipen. Vigilansprincipen tar sikte på att en avtalspart ska tillvarata sina egna intressen. Med anledning av att vigilansprincipen inte har en framträdande roll inom avtalsrätten är förhållandet mellan principerna relativt outforskat. Syftet med uppsatsen är att analysera vigilans- och lojalitetsprincipen, samt allmänna avtalsrättsliga principer knutna till passivitet, i Högsta domstolens avgöranden i NJA 2017 s. 203 och NJA 2018 s. 171. Vidare syftar uppsatsen till att jämföra vigilans- och lojalitetsprincipen i rättsfallen för att därefter ta ställning till deras betydelse för passivitetsverkan i ett längre avtalsförhållande. Uppsatsen har utgått ifrån en rättsdogmatisk metod för att kunna besvara uppsatsens frågeställningar.

Uppsatsen kommer fram till att Högsta domstolens domskäl bottnar i en avvägning av vigilans- och lojalitetsprincipen. Vidare kommer uppsatsen fram till att vigilans- och lojalitetsprincipen samspelar med varandra och fungerar som motpoler mellan två avtalsparter i ett längre avtalsförhållande. Det hindrar emellertid inte en avtalspart från att vara lojal och vigilant samtidigt, under förutsättning att det inte uppstår en intressekollision mellan det egna intresset och motpartens intresse. Slutligen kommer uppsatsen fram till att vigilans- och lojalitetsprincipen inte har någon betydelse för passivitetsverkan. För att undvika att hamna i en situation där passivitet får rättsverkan borde avtalsparterna agera lojalt genom att med omsorg iaktta och tillvarata motpartens intressen, och agera vigilant genom att tillvarata sina egna intressen. (Less)
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author
Lindström, Madeleine LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20241
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Avtalsrätt, Vigilansprincipen, Lojalitetsprincipen, Passivitet, Eftergift för förfluten tid, Generös avtalstillämpning, Kulans
language
Swedish
id
9153015
date added to LUP
2024-06-26 12:01:51
date last changed
2024-06-26 12:01:51
@misc{9153015,
  abstract     = {{The Swedish Supreme Court has stated that the principle of loyalty is a prerequisite to a long-term contractual relationship. Notably absent from the grounds of the judgements is the principle of vigilance, which is considered in doctrine to be an opposing principle to loyalty. In this thesis, the principle of vigilance means that a contracting party should protect its own interests. Since this principle does not have a prominent role in Swedish contract law, the relationship between the principles is relatively unexplored. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the principles of loyalty and vigilance, as well as general contractual principles of passivity, in the Swedish Supreme Court's cases in NJA 2017 s. 203 and NJA 2018 s. 171. Additionally, the paper aims to compare the principles of loyalty and vigilance in these cases, as well as examine their impact on passivity within longer contractual relationships.

The paper is based on a legal dogmatic method to answer the research questions. It concludes that the judgements of the Swedish Supreme Court are based on a balancing of the principles of loyalty and vigilance. Furthermore, the paper confirms that the principles interact and serve as opposing forces between two contracting parties in a long-term contractual relationship. However, this does not prevent a contracting party from adhering to both principles simultaneously, provided there is no conflict between the party’s own interests and those of the other contracting party. Finally, the paper concludes that the principles of loyalty and vigilance have no impact on passivity. To prevent a situation where passivity leads to legal effects, the contracting parties should act in accordance with both principles of loyalty and vigilance.}},
  author       = {{Lindström, Madeleine}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Vigilans- och lojalitetsprincipen - En kritisk analys av Högsta domstolens senaste avgöranden vid passivitetsverkan i ett längre avtalsförhållande}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}