损害赔偿救济作为一种保障管辖协议有效执行的重要机制,无论是对保护善意当事人的经济利益而言,还是对提高管辖协议的效力以及完善管辖协议的执行保障机制而言,都具有毋庸置疑的价值。但实践中将面临的诸多法律难题,亦不容忽视。从立案受理阶段到实体审理阶段以及后续的判决承认与执行阶段,损害赔偿救济的适用都将面临不同程度的复杂问题,尤其是诉的利益审查和损失的量化等问题,给法院施加了繁重的审理负担,对法官的理论水平和自由裁量水准也提出了很高的要求。此外,管辖权的确定、违反管辖协议的认定和国际礼让原则的具体适用中也涉及许多复杂的现实问题,需要法律予以明确规定,或由法官通过严谨的法律推理和解释予以解决。
我国法院在面临违反管辖协议的损害赔偿问题上,具有必然性。特别是在《海牙公约》的背景下,因协议选择的外国法院所作判决中可能涉及此类损害赔偿,解决该问题的紧迫性也日益凸显。因此,需提前予以考虑并准备好应对之策。实践难题以及随之而来的审理难度,便是我国法院在决定是否接受损害赔偿救济时的重要考虑因素。但必须明确的是,这种考虑因素并不能直接作为我国法院否定损害赔偿救济适用性的正当理由。基于社会发展中新出现而制定法又未规定的诉权可通过诉的利益加以确认之经验事实,我国在明确应如何对待违反管辖协议的损害赔偿诉讼之问题上,可运用诉的利益理论解题。然而,诉的利益判断因案而异,难以通过精确的理论推导和周密的逻辑论证得出普适性的一般结论。因此,在具体案件中,有赖于法官结合具体案情和社会需求等因素对法院(国家)和当事人之间的利益进行权衡。其中,实践难题和审理难度理应是重要的考量因素。此外,从狭隘而现实的本国当事人利益保护角度出发,损害赔偿救济的适用具有一定的必要性空间。尽管我国当事人在国际经贸环境中往往处于弱势地位,因而在大部分情形下,允许损害赔偿救济的适用可能有损我国当事人的利益。但这并不排除当事人平等友好的协商管辖协议之可能,此时,如约定我国法院具有排他性管辖权,而外国当事人恶意地到诉讼极不方便且费用昂贵的外国法院起诉,损害赔偿救济的开放对我国当事人而言便是有益的。
因此,我国在应对违反管辖协议的损害赔偿诉讼时,不可有莽然之举。理智的应对之策是,立法上暂时不予回应,在具体案件中由法官综合考量各种因素和利益,决定是否受理或审理。待实践经验和相关统计数据充实后,再由立法或司法解释明确立场。在否定立场下,我国法律中留有足够的空间使法院可以拒绝此类损害赔偿救济的适用。而在肯定立场下,根据此类损害赔偿救济在实践中可能面临的难题,可以预见我国既需要解决相关制度层面上的障碍,又需完善诸多法律规定,特别是还需要法官具备较高的理论水平和自由裁量水准。另外,依据我国司法传统可以推断,在肯定立场下,损害赔偿救济也只能在例外情形下得以适用,而例外情形的解释需由高级别法院或最高院通过案件批复或司法解释的方式加以明确。
【注释】
[1]损害赔偿救济仅适用于排他性管辖协议,书中基于行文和法律语境所转换使用的管辖协议、协议管辖(制度)等用语皆指排他性选择法院协议(制度)。
[2]以德国联邦最高法院在2005年3月8日所做的判决(Case VIII ZB 55/04,I.L.Pr. 54,(2005))为例,法院承认英国律师在案件中的参与是合适的,但英国律师是按小时收费,且比德国律师提供相同服务的费用高出很多,因而对律师费的补偿只以德国律师提供相同诉讼服务的费用为限。See Koji Takahashi,“Damages for Breach of A Choice-of-Court Agreement”,Yearbook of Private International Law (10,2008).
[3]参见王利明《民商法研究(第四辑)》,法律出版社2001年版,第59页。
[4]参见张嘉军《民事诉讼契约研究》,法律出版社2010年版,第187页。
[5]Union Disc. Co.v.Zoller,1 W.L.R. 1517,1526-27 (C.A. 2001).
[6]参见王磊《论英国法上违反管辖权协议之损害赔偿规则》,载黄进编:《中国国际私法与比较法年刊》2016年第十九卷,中国法律出版社2017年版。
[7]Donohue v.Armco Inc,1 Lloyd’s Rep. 425,437 (Lord Bingham),439 (Lord Hobhouse) (H.L. 2001). See Daniel Tan,“Damages for Breach of Forum Selection Clauses,Principled Remedies,and Control of International Civil Litigation”,Texas International Law Journal (4,2005),p.636.
[8]A/S D/S Svenborg D/S of 1912 A/S v.Akar,E.W.H.C. 797 (Q.B. 2004).
[9]National Westminster Bank plc v.Rabobank Nederland [No 3] 1 All ER 266(Comm)(2008).
[10]Starlight Shipping Company v.Allianz Marine and Aviation Versicherungs AG and other,E.W.H.C. 3068,(Comm)(2014).
[11]See Albert Dinelli,“The Limits on the Remedy of Damages for Breach of Jurisdiction Agreements: The Law of Contract Meets Private International Law”,Melbourne University Law Review (3,2015),p.1029.
[12]Laboratory Corp. of America Inc. v.Upstate Testing Laboratory Inc,967 F. Supp. 295 (N.D. Ill. 1997).
[13]其一是,Omron Healthcare Inc. v.MacLaren Exports Ltd 案,该案中原告并没有主张损害赔偿,而法院也没有对损害赔偿问题做任何详细的考虑,只是在附带意见中提及了原告可以主张损害赔偿的可能性。其二是,Northwestern National Insurance Co.v.Donovan 案,在该案中法院所做的只是拒绝以不方便为由改变审判地的请求,并没有在任何地方提到损害赔偿的问题。
[14]Allendale Mut. Ins. Co.v.Excess Ins. Co.Ltd.,992 F. Supp. 278 (S.D.N.Y. 1998).
[15]Indosuez Int’l Fin.,B.v.v.Nat’l Reserv.Bank,758 N.Y.S.2d 308 (N.Y. App. Div.2003).
[16]Versatile Housewares & Gardening Systems,Inc. v.Thill Logistics,Inc.,No. 09-CV-10182 (KMK),2011 WL 2566061,at *12 (S.D.N.Y. June 29,2011).
[17]MPv.Lexington Partners,LLC v.W/P/V/C,LLC,No.15-cv-0467-WJM-KMT,148 F.Supp.3d 1169 (Sep.16,2015).
[18]See Adrian Briggs & Peter Rees,Civil Jurisdiction and Judgements,London: LLP,2002,p.296.
[19]See Daniel Tan,“Damages for Breach of Forum Selection Clauses,Principled Remedies,and Control of International Civil Litigation”,Texas International Law Journal (4,2005).
[20]See Chee Ho Tham,“Damages for Breach of English Jurisdiction Clauses: More than Meets the Eye”,Lloyds Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly (1,2004).
[21]See C. J. S. Knight,“The Damage of Damages: Agreements on Jurisdiction and Choice of Law”,Journal of Private International Law (3,2008).
[22]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.99.
[23]但值得注意的是,德国学界中有少数学者(B Hess,D Jasper,Kurth and J Schroder)认为管辖协议包括法律权利和义务。See Jonas Steinlea & Evan Vasiliades,“The Enforcement of Jurisdiction Agreements under the Brussels I Regulation: Reconsidering the Principle of Party Autonomy”,Journal of Private International Law (3,2010).
[24]C 269/05 Francesco Benincasa v.Dentalkit Srl. ECR 1-3767(1997),para 25. See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.78.
[25]Giuliano-Lagarde Report on the Convention on the law applicable to contractual obligations [1980] OJ C 282,11-12; Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the law applicable to the contractual obligations (RomeⅠ) OJ C 318/56,58,3.1.4.
[26]See Santiago Álvarez González,“The Spanish Tribunal Supremo Grants Damages for Breach of a Choice-of-Court Agreement”,Praxis des Internationalen Privat-und Verfahrensrechts (6,2009).
[27]See Felix Sparka,“Classifi cation of Choice of Forum Clauses and their Separability from the Main Contract”,Jurisdiction and Arbitration Clauses in Maritime Transport Documents (19,2010).
[28]See Petr Bíza,“Choice-of-Court Agreements: Could the Hague Choice of Court Agreements Convention and the Reform of the Brussels I Regulation Be the Way Out of the Gasser-Owusu Disillusion?”,Journal of Private International Law (3,2009).
[29]See Trevor Hartley,Choice-of-Court Agreements under the European and International Instruments:The Revised Brussels I Regulation,the Lugano Convention,and the Hague Convention,Oxford:Oxford University Press,2013,p.4.
[30]See Adrian Briggs,Private International Law in English Courts,Oxford: Oxford University Press,2014,pp.345-346.
[31]See Richard Frimpong Oppong & Shannon Kathleen Clark Gibbs,“Damages for Breach and Interpretation of Jurisdiction Agreements in Common Law Canada”,The Canadian Bar Review (2,2017).
[32]See Koji Takahashi,“Damages for Breach of A Choice-of-Court Agreement”,Yearbook of Private International Law (10,2008).
[33]See Adrian Briggs,Agreements on Jurisdiction and Choice of Law,Oxford: Oxford University Press,2008,p.195.
[34]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.100.
[35]See Horatia Muir Watt,“Party Autonomy in International Contracts: From the Makings of a Myth to the Requirements of Global Governance”,European Review of Contract Law (3,2010),p.30.
[36]管辖协议是当事人之间就提起诉讼方式的相互承诺,它除了表明某国法院对争议有排他性管辖权之外,也表明缔约双方相互承诺不在非协议选择法院对另一方就合同的履行提起任何法律诉讼。See Chee Ho Tham,“Damages for Breach of English Jurisdiction Clauses: More than Meets the Eye”,Lloyds Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly (1,2004).
[37]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.80.
[38]See Trevor Clayton Hartley,“The European Union and the Systematic Dismantling of the Common Law of Confl ict of Laws”,International and Comparativ.Law Quarterly (4,2005).
[39]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.82.
[40]See Chee Ho Tham,“Damages for Breach of English Jurisdiction Clauses: More than Meets the Eye”,Lloyds Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly (1,2004),p.60.
[41]美国法律协会《侵权法第二次重述》中第674节明确地界定了“错误的民事诉讼”:在民事诉讼的提起、继续或取得上发挥主动作用的当事人,因错误民事诉讼向其他当事人承担责任,如果:a.其诉讼没有合理的根据,主要的目的不是为在该诉讼中取得适当的判决。以及b. 除非他们是单方面的,诉讼以有利于相对方而结束。
[42]Crawford Adjusters (Cayman) Ltd v.SagiCo.General Insurance (Cayman) Ltd,UKPC 17,3 WLR 927(2013).
[43]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.107.
[44]Kallang Shipping SA v.Axa Assurances Senegal,EWHC 2761 (Comm),1 Lloyd’s Rep 124,(2009).
[45]EWCA Civ 143,(2015),QB 699,(2015). See Mukarrum Ahmed,“Case Comment: Marzillier,Dr Meier & Dr Guntner Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft MbH v.AMT Futures Ltd. EWCA Civ 143,(2015)”,Aberdeen Student Law Review (1,2015),pp.123-124.
[46]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.108.
[47]See Chee Ho Tham,“Damages for Breach of English Jurisdiction Clauses: More than Meets the Eye”,Lloyds Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly (1,2004).
[48]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.105.
[49]See Koji Takahashi,“Damages for Breach of a Choice-of-Court Agreement: Remaining Issues”,Yearbook of Private International Law (11,2009).(www.xing528.com)
[50]参见李语湘《比较法视角下英美返还法的结构与功能研究》,中国政法大学出版社2015年版,第174页。
[51]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,pp.114-115.
[52]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p. 115.
[53]Attorney General v.Blake,1 AC 268,(2001).
[54]VerCo.v.Rutland Fund Management Ltd,EWHC 424 (Ch),339-343,(2001).
[55]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.116.
[56]参见李语湘《比较法视角下英美返还法的结构与功能研究》,中国政法大学出版社2015年版,第180页。
[57]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.117.
[58]《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》第一百一十二条:当事人之间恶意串通,企图通过诉讼、调解等方式侵害他人合法权益的,人民法院应当驳回其请求,并根据情节轻重予以罚款、拘留;构成犯罪的,依法追究刑事责任。
[59]本书仅研究在国际民商事诉讼中,违反排他性管辖协议的损害赔偿救济问题。文中基于行文便利和法律语境等问题的考量,转换使用的管辖协议、协议管辖(制度)等用语皆指排他性选择法院协议(制度)。
[60]Union Disc. Co.v.Zoller,1 W.L.R. 1517,1526-27 (C.A. 2001).
[61]直接应对违反管辖协议的损害赔偿诉讼,主要有以下三种情形:1.当事人在管辖协议中约定我国法院具有排他性管辖权时,如果一方当事人违反该协议到某外国法院起诉,该外国诉讼中的被告可能会到我国法院起诉请求损害赔偿。2.当事人在管辖协议中约定某外国法院具有排他性管辖权时,如果一方当事人违反该协议到我国法院起诉,那么被告可能提起单独的诉讼或反诉,请求损害赔偿。而在当事人违反该协议到第三国法院起诉时,第三国诉讼中的被告也有可能到我国法院起诉,请求损害赔偿。3.当事人在我国法院的起诉是为执行某外国法院的判决时,如该外国诉讼的提起有违管辖协议,判决债务人可能在我国法院提起反诉,请求损害赔偿,以抵销部分或全部的判决债务。
[62]Hin-Pro International Logistics Ltd v.Compania Sud Americana de Vapores SA,EWCA Civ 401,(2015).
[63]此数据为根据目前的检索结果和文章书籍所涉案例汇总得出。
[64]OT Africa Line Ltd v.Magic Sportswear Corp,EWCA Civ 710,33,(2005).
[65]我国的民事诉讼制度,并未区分起诉要件和诉讼要件,都规定于起诉条件中,本书为分析之便予以区分。
[66]即《最高人民法院关于适用〈中华人民共和国民事诉讼法〉的解释》《关于人民法院推行立案登记制改革的意见》及《最高人民法院关于人民法院登记立案若干问题的规定》。
[67]《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》第一百一十九条:起诉必须符合下列条件:(一)原告是与本案有直接利害关系的公民、法人和其他组织;(二)有明确的被告;(三)有具体的诉讼请求和事实、理由;(四)属于人民法院受理民事诉讼的范围和受诉人民法院管辖。
[68]参见杨会新《从诉之效力位阶看民事案件受理制度》,《比较法研究》2016年第3期。
[69]在立案登记制改革导致诉讼“爆炸”的背景下,司法实践的发展仍具有一定的不可预测性,有学者提出了由立案庭对诉讼要件进行初步审查的建议。本书对立案庭和审判庭应如何分担诉讼要件审查之工作不做研究,仅基于立法对起诉条件的设置而将诉讼要件的审查问题置于立案受理阶段讨论,且不限定立案庭的审查力度,即研究并未区分立案受理阶段和审判阶段。
[70]See Koji Takahashi,“Damages for Breach of a Choice-of-Court Agreement: Remaining Issues”,Yearbook of Private International Law (11,2009).
[71]See Koji Takahashi,“Damages for Breach of a Choice-of-Court Agreement: Remaining Issues”,Yearbook of Private International Law (11,2009).
[72]各类诉讼所共通的诉的利益之判断标准有:原告的请求必须属于适合在国家预先设定的民事审判的场合提出,并且请求的内容是关于具体权利义务关系存在与否的主张。诉讼客体必须是真实的、现实的民事争议,并且请求的内容对于纠纷的解决具有实际意义,符合裁判上的要求。因该标准只是对必要性和实效性的解释,因此,本书将其称为解释性标准。参见黄娟《两大法系诉的利益学说与立法之比较》,《民事程序法研究》2004年第〇〇期。
[73]See Richard Frimpong Oppong & Shannon Kathleen Clark Gibbs,“Damages for Breach and Interpretation of Jurisdiction Agreements in Common Law Canada”,The Canadian Bar Review (2,2017).
[74]See Koji Takahashi,“Damages for Breach of a Choice-of-Court Agreement: Remaining Issues”,Yearbook of Private International Law (11,2009).
[75]See Daniel Tan,“Damages for Breach of Jurisdiction Clauses”,Singapore Academy of Law Journal (14,2002).
[76]See Koji Takahashi,“Damages for Breach of a Choice-of-Court Agreement: Remaining Issues”,Yearbook of Private International Law (11,2009).
[77]See Richard Frimpong Oppong & Shannon Kathleen Clark Gibbs,“Damages for Breach and Interpretation of Jurisdiction Agreements in Common Law Canada”,The Canadian Bar Review (2,2017).
[78]Briggs教授在2014年的Private International Law in English Courts一书中提出,违反管辖协议的损失计算是非常不确定的,任何量化的尝试都不过是猜测。F Garcimartin,Illmer 教授在Brussel I Recast一书中,也持相同观点,认为实际损失的计算可能是非常困难和耗时的,且带有很大程度的不确定性。在国际商事仲裁中也有学者提出相同观点,GB Born 在2014年International Commercial Arbitration一书中提出,对损失的计算是非常困难且属猜测。还有学者认为仲裁协议是一种规定不完全义务的合同,如果被违反,给予损害赔偿并不是一个符合实际的救济方法,因为计算当事人所承担的损失是困难的。
[79]OT Africa Line Ltd v.Magic Sportswear Corp,EWCA Civ 710,33,(2005).
[80]In Chaplin v.Hicks,2 KB 786,792,(1911).据报道,Vaughan Williams LJ 曾说:损害赔偿的金额可能会是一种猜测。但是,损害赔偿不能被确定无疑的评估之事实并不能解除违法者支付违约损害赔偿金的必要性。
[81]See Daniel Tan,“Damages for Breach of Jurisdiction Clauses”,Singapore Academy of Law Journal (14,2002).
[82]See Daniel Tan,“Damages for Breach of Jurisdiction Clauses”,Singapore Academy of Law Journal (14,2002).
[83]See Daniel Tan & Nik Yeo,“Breaking promises to litigate in a particular forum: are damages an appropriate remedy?”,Lloyd’s Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly (4,2003).
[84]See Ilaria Pretelli,“Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (recast)”.
[85]See Koji Takahashi,“Damages for Breach of A Choice-of-Court Agreement”,Yearbook of Private International Law (10,2008).
[86]C-159/02 Gregory Paul Turner v.Felix Fareed Ismail Grovit,Harada Ltd and Changepoint SA. (2004) I-03565.
[87]See Richard Frimpong Oppong & Shannon Kathleen Clark Gibbs,“Damages for Breach and Interpretation of Jurisdiction Agreements in Common Law Canada”,The Canadian Bar Review (2,2017).
[88]See Daniel Tan,“Damages for Breach of Forum Selection Clauses,Principled Remedies,and Control of International Civil Litigation”,Texas International Law Journal (4,2005).
[89]See Koji Takahashi,“Damages for Breach of A Choice-of-Court Agreement”,Yearbook of Private International Law (10,2008).
[90]See Chee Ho Tham,“Damages for Breach of English Jurisdiction Clauses: More than Meets the Eye”,Lloyds Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly (1,2004).
[91]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.129.
[92]See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.129.
[93]In Zone Brands International Inc v.In Beverage International,ILPr 30,(2010) (French Cour de cassation). See Mukarrum Ahmed,The Nature and Enforcement of Choice of Court Agreements: a Comparativ.Study,Oxford: Hart Publishing,2017,p.132.
[94]Case C-456/11 Gothaer v.Samskip GmbH,QB 548,(2013).
[95]参见严仁群《既判力客观范围之新进展》,《中外法学》2017年第2期。
[96]See Koji Takahashi,“Damages for Breach of A Choice-of-Court Agreement”,Yearbook of Private International Law (10,2008).
[97]See C. J. S. Knight,“The Damage of Damages: Agreements on Jurisdiction and Choice of Law”,Journal of Private International Law (3,2008).
[98]See Chee Ho Tham,“Damages for Breach of English Jurisdiction Clauses: More than Meets the Eye”,Lloyds Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly (1,2004). See Daniel Tan & Nik Yeo,“Breaking promises to litigate in a particular forum: are damages an appropriate remedy?”,Lloyd’s Maritime & Commercial Law Quarterly (4,2003).
[99]See Daniel Tan,“Damages for Breach of Jurisdiction Clauses”,Singapore Academy of Law Journal (14,2002).
[100]See Albert Dinelli,“The Limits on the Remedy of Damages for Breach of Jurisdiction Agreements: The Law of Contract Meets Private International Law”,Melbourne University Law Review (3,2015).
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