法律经典著作阅读

1、海牙/维斯比规则的适用Application of the Hague/Visby Rules Brief Intro:在普通法下，对于提单涉及的运输合同，当事人有绝对的自由对其进行协商。然而，在19世纪。承运人滥用他们的强势地位，导致这种自由被大大削弱，海牙规则应运而生。这一规则的目的在于，在承运人大量援引免责条款的情况下保护货主。海牙/维斯比规则成功地继承了这一点。为了达到这一目的，“规则”规定一些标准条款必须列入合同，来明确应由承运人承担的风险、从免责条款中可获得的最大保护以及责任限制。承运人任何想要扩大免责范围或是减轻其基本义务的行为都将被认为是不具有法律效力的。当然，若承运人承担了法

2、律列明的最低限度的义务以外的义务，“规则”也不会进行额外保护。海牙/维斯比规则只涉及合同条款最基本的框架。在此之外，合同当事人也可以自行约定额外的款项。该规则已被添加进1971年的Carriage of Goods by Sea，并自1977年6月23日起在英国生效。6.1海牙海牙/维斯比规则的适维斯比规则的适用用6.1.1 “规则”调整的运输形式 海牙规则第一条b款：“运输合同”仅指以提单或任何类似的物权凭证进行有关海上货物运输的合同；在租船合同下或根据租船合同所签发的提单或任何物权凭证，在它们成为制约承运人与凭证持有人之间的关系准则时，也包括在内。 海上货物运输法第一条也做了相同的规定 海

3、牙规则不适用于以运单或者其他不可转让的单证进行的海上运输合同。因为它们不是物权证明。 海牙规则也不适用于租船合同，甚至是租船合同下签发的提单。因为此处的提单仅仅作为货物收据，而不能代表运输合同的所有内容。它的条款是被租船合同所排除的。但是提单一经转让，海牙规则就开始适用。承运人与提单持有人就受到提单条款的约束。若当事人约定他们之间的运输合同是以提单进行的，那么即使提单实际上并不存在，海牙规则也适用。Pyrene Co. Ltd v. Scindia Navigation Co.Whenever a contract of carriage is concluded and it is cont

4、emplated that a bill of lading will, in due course, be issued in respect of it, that contract is from its creation “covered” by a bill of lading and is, therefore, from its inception a contract of carriage within the meaning of the Rules and to which the Rules apply. 无论运输合同何时签订，也无论与该运输合同有关的提单何时签发，这个

5、合同从它成立之时就被认为是“以提单进行的运输合同”，也就是海牙规则意义上的“运输合同”，海牙规则也自合同成立之时就开始适用。海牙/维斯比规则对1924年海上货物运输法适用范围的扩大： “本公约各项规定，应适用于在两个不同国家港口之间与货物运输有关的每一提单，如果： (a)提单在某一缔约国签发；或者 (b)货物从某一缔约国港口起运；或者 (c)被提单所包含或所证明的合同受本公约各项规定或者给予这些 规定以法律效力的任一国家立法的约束，而不论船舶、承运人、托运人、收货人或任何其他关系人的国籍如何。 每一缔约国应将本公约各项规定适用于上述提单。 本条规定不禁止缔约国将本公约适用于前述各款未列明的提单

6、。” 1971年海上货物运输法又将此范围扩大至沿海运输 问题：未避免海牙规则的适用，承运人签发不可转让的单证来替代提单。而只有在适用海牙规则的情况下，托运人才有权要求承运人签发提单。 解决建议：在任何从英国起运的货物运输合同中，都自动适用海牙规则。除非，规则的适用与某一特定贸易惯例或当事人意思表示不一致。 无论是通过当事人自行合意，还是通过托运人因接受运单而自愿放弃要求承运人签发提单的权利，合同当事人都无权自行排除海牙规则的适用。Hague Rules Article 6:Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding Articles, a c

7、arrier, master or agent of the carrier and a shipper shall in regard to any particular goods be at liberty to enter into any agreement in any terms as to the responsibility and liability of the carrier for such goods, and as to the rights and immunities of the carrier in respect of such goods, or hi

8、s obligation as to seaworthiness, so far as this stipulation is not contrary to public policy, or the care or diligence of his servants or agents in regard to the loading, handling, stowage, carriage, custody, care and discharge of the goods carried by sea, provided that in this case no bill of ladi

9、ng has been or shall be issued and that the terms agreed shall be embodied in a receipt which shall be a non-negotiable document and shall be marked as such. Any agreement so entered into shall have full legal effect. Provided that this Article shall not apply to ordinary commercial shipments made i

10、n the ordinary course of trade, but only to other shipments where the character or condition of the property to be carried or the circumstances, terms and conditions under which the carriage is to be performed are such as reasonably to justify a special agreement. 海牙规则第六条：“虽有前述各条规定，只要不违反公共秩序，承运人、船长或

11、承运人的代理人得与托运人就承运人对任何特定货物应负的责任和应尽的义务，及其所享受的权利与豁免，或船舶适航的责任等，以任何条件，自由地订立任何协议。或就承运人雇佣人员或代理人在海运货物的装载、搬运、配载、运送、保管、照料和卸载方面应注意及谨慎的事项，自由订立任何协议。但在这种情况下，必须是未曾签发或将不签发提单，而且应将上述协议的条款载入不得转让并注明这种字样的收据内。这样订立的任何协议，都具有完全的法律效力。但本条规定不适用于依照普通贸易程序成交的一般商业货运，而仅在拟装运的财物的性质和状况，或据以进行运输的环境、条款和条件，有订立特别协议的合理需要时，才能适用 。” 动物 甲板货6.1.2

12、排除适用的货物类型 构成要件： 1、货物确实装载在甲板上 2、提单上注明“甲板货”甲板货Svenska Traktor v. Maritime AgenciesA mere general liberty to carry goods on deck is not a statement in the contract of carriage that the goods are in fact being carried on deck. 给予承运人将货物装载在甲板上的自由，并不能代替运输合同中的明确陈述。Such a statement on the face of the bill of

13、 lading would serve as a notification and a warning to consignees and indorsees of the bill of lading, to whom the property in the goods passed under the terms of s1 of the Bill of Lading Act 1855, that the goods which they were to take were being shipped as deck cargo. “除非托运人反对，承运人有权将货物装载在甲板上运输。”En

14、cyclopeadia Britannica v Hong Kong Producer 将货物装载在甲板上运输必须得到托运人的承认和许可。 传统观点认为，承运人未经托运人许可就将货物装载在甲板上运输的行为，构成根本违约。一旦发生货损货差，承运人将无法从合同条款中得到任何免责或保护。In this respect it would appear that the inclusion of a general liberty clause in the bill of lading might suffice for this purpose, or even a clause to the ef

15、fect that carrier permitted to stow on deck unless shipper objects, provided that the shipper has sufficient notice of the clause at the time of shipment.6.1.3 海牙规则适用的期间 海牙规则只适用于海上运输合同 也未必适用于整个合同，而是从货物装上船到货物卸下船“钩到钩” 这也就是规定了承运人的责任期间 （1）不仅包括运输期间，还包括装卸期间 （2）即使货物在承运人的控制之下，但是不在“钩到钩”期间内，不属于承运人的责任期间 （“装前卸后

16、”问题）联运提单下的合同和多式联运合同中海牙规则的适用问题Captain v Far Eastern Steamship Co 加拿大法院认为，货物在码头等待运输的这段期间内，不适用海牙规则。 Mavhew Foods v OCL It would be surprising if OCL could, by carrying the goods to Le Havre and there storing the goods before transshipment, rid themselves of liabilities to which they would have been sub

17、ject had they, as contemplated, shipped the goods at Southampton and carried them direct to Jeddah. Bingham判决要点：只要提单是覆盖整个海运阶段的，那么不管中途的转运过程，海牙规则全程适用。Vocabulary Curtail 缩减，省略 Null/ Void 无效（having no legal force or effect) Envisage 设想，拟想（think） Straight bill of lading 记名提单 It is contemplated that ( it is considered that) Ambit （适