Essential requirements

Государственное Образовательное Учреждение

Высшего Профессионального Образования

«Московский Государственный Лингвистический Университет»

Ускова Т.В.

«Оформление договоров в английском праве»

(Часть 1)

Учебное пособие

(для студентов V курса Факультета Экономики и Права)

Москва 2007

Предисловие

Данное пособие предназначено для студентов-юристов, изучающих договорное право Англии и вопросы оформления договоров. Пособие построено на аутентичном фактическом материале. Использование современного материала позволяет обращаться к актуальным вопросам составления договоров как в английском, так и в русском праве, что, безусловно, повышает мотивацию учащихся.

Цель пособия – рассмотреть основные элементы договора в английском праве, провести сравнительный анализ английского и русского договорного права, активизировать языковые и речевые навыки обучаемых, расширить и закрепить словарный запас в области договорного права, а также научить студентов участвовать в обсуждениях и дискуссиях.

Данное пособие состоит из трех разделов, каждый из которых разделен на несколько частей, объединенных общей тематикой. В первом разделе рассматриваются основные требования к договору, принцип порочности договора, основные элементы договора; второй раздел рассматривает оферту и акцепт, вопросы установления отношений между оферентом и адресантом оферты; третий раздел посвящен проблемам действительности договоров (ошибка, введение в заблуждение, недолжное влияние), средствам судебной защиты и ограничениям на вступление в договорные отношения. Каждый раздел включает словарь, упражнения на закрепление активного словаря, а также грамматические и лексические упражнения на профессионально-ориентированном материале. Помимо основных разделов пособие включает глоссарий юридических терминов на английском языке.

Пособие может быть использовано для обучения широкой аудитории специалистов, изучающих английский язык в связи с правовой специальностью.

Содержание

1. Unit 1 ……………………………………………………………..4 – 46

2. Unit 2 ……………………………………………………………..46 – 77

3. Unit 3 …………………………………………………..………..77 – 122

4. Glossary......……………………………………………………122 - 126

Unit 1. The Nature of a Contract in English Law

Part 1.

Essential requirements

There are still misconceptions about this branch of law. For many people the word 'contract' suggests a visit to a solicitor's office and the signing of a formal document containing incomprehensible language. This is far from the truth. Most people make contracts every day of their lives, usually without realizing it. Every time they buy an article or pay for a service such as a haircut they are entering into a contract, while matters concerned with their work, such as holidays, wages and hours, are governed in part by the contract which they have made with their employer.

Another popular belief is that a contract must be in writing. Apart from a few exceptional instances, this is not so. Most contracts are made by word of mouth. It may be desirable to have a written agreement where a lot is at stake, or where the contract has to last for a long time, but this is only for practical purposes of proof, and is usually not legally necessary.

A contract is simply an agreement which the law will recognize. It is of vital importance in business life, and forms the basis of most commercial transactions, such as the sale of goods and land, the giving of credit, insurance, carriage of goods, formation and sale of business organizations, and, to some extent, employment.

What agreements will the law recognize?

The law will not recognize all agreements. The law of contract is concerned mainly with providing a framework within which business can operate; if agreements could be broken with impunity, the unscrupulous could create havoc. English law will intervene, therefore, and make the person who breaks an agreement pay compensation (damages) to the other party, but only if the agreement has the following essential features:

1. Intention to create legal relations. Unless the courts are satisfied that the parties intended the agreement to be legally binding, the courts will take no notice of it.

2. Agreement. The courts must be satisfied that the parties had reached a firm agreement, and that they were not still negotiating. Agreement will usually be shown by the unconditional acceptance of an offer (Unit 2).

3. Consideration. English law will only recognize a bargain, not a mere promise. A contract, therefore, must be a two-sided affair, each side providing or promising to provide some consideration in exchange for what the other is to provide. Consideration is a special feature of the common law and is not required by most European legal systems, including Scotland.

4. Form. Certain exceptional types of agreement are only valid if made in a particular form, for example in writing.

5. Definite terms. It must be possible for the courts to ascertain what the parties have agreed upon. If the terms are so vague as to be meaningless, the law will not recognize the agreement (Unit 2).

6. Legality. Certain types of agreements are so plainly 'contrary to public policy' that the law will have nothing to do with them. For example, the courts would not allow a hired murderer to recover damages if his principal refused to pay the agreed price.