The United Nations convention on contracts for the international sale of goods (cisg) and the Common Law: the challenge of interpreting Article 7

The interpretative methodology applied in Common Law CISG jurisprudence has driven a disparity of reasoning that hinders a uniform application of its provisions. This result is inconsistent with CISG Article 7 which mandates interpretation of the convention in accordance with its international character and the need to promote uniformity. This paper discusses the multiple aspects that have affected the uniform interpretation of CISG norms, including a reference to the case law in USA, Australia and Italy. Finally, the Unidroit principles are presented as an aid to overcome the difficulties in the application of CISG article 7.

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Homeward trends Latvijas Republikas tiesu praksē

SOCRATES. Rīgas Stradiņa universitātes Juridiskās fakultātes elektroniskais juridisko zinātnisko rakstu žurnāls / SOCRATES. Rīga Stradiņš University Faculty of Law Electronic Scientific Journal of Law ◽

10.25143/socr.19.2020.1.184-194 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1 (19) ◽

pp. 184-194

Author(s):

Sindija Damberga

Keyword(s):

United Nations ◽

Case Law ◽

Court Decisions ◽

Judicial Decisions ◽

United Nations Convention ◽

The United Nations ◽

International Sale Of Goods ◽

The Republic ◽

International Character

Šī pētījuma mērķis ir analizēt ANO Konvencijas par starptautiskajiem preču pirkuma-pārdevuma līgumiem (The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, turpmāk tekstā – CISG vai Konvencija) piemērošanu Latvijas Republikā un vērtēt, vai un kā Latvijas tiesās tiek ievērotas Konvencijas 7. panta pirmās daļas prasības: tās piemērošanā ņemt vērā Konvencijas starptautisko raksturu un nepieciešamību veicināt tās piemērošanas vienveidību. Pētījumā analizēti vairāki desmiti anonimizētu tiesu lēmumu, kas pieņemti laika posmā no 2013. gada septembra līdz 2019. gada janvārim. Šķīrējtiesas lēmumi ir izslēgti no šī pētījuma galvenokārt to konfidenciālā rakstura dēļ. Pētījums veikts teorētiski, novērtējot un salīdzinot tiesas lēmumu atbilstību CISG noteiktajiem mērķiem un ietvertajām prasībām, ņemot vērā arī tiesību zinātnieku viedokļus attiecīgajā jautājumā. Pētījumā tika atklāts, ka tiesas, kaut arī dažkārt atzīst CISG piemērojamību, tomēr salīdzinoši bieži papildus Konvencijas normām piemēro arī attiecīgās attiecības regulējošus nacionālos tiesību aktus vai pat tikai nacionālo tiesību aktus, ignorējot Konvenciju. Lai arī publiski pieejamie anonimizētie spriedumi nepilnīgi atspoguļo Konvencijas piemērošanu, tomēr ar to pietiek, lai secinātu, ka Latvijas tiesu nolēmumos konstatējams t. s. homeward trends. Noslēgumā autore norāda uz iespējamiem risinājumiem homeward trenda mazināšanai. The objectives of this study are to focus on the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) case law of the Republic of Latvia; to determine whether and how the mandate has been given in Article 7(1) of CISG, consider its international character and need to promote uniformity in its application is observed in Latvian courts. The author examines and analyses court decisions related to applicability of the CISG in Latvia in the period from September, 2013 to January, 2019. The author notes that arbitration decisions are excluded from this study due to their mostly confidential nature. The study has been performed in a purely theoretical manner assessing and comparing the compliance of judicial decisions with the objectives of the CISG; however, the views of academics and legal scientists have been taken into consideration. The study reveals that courts, although sometimes recognise the CISG applicability, use domestic principles in determining the outcome rather than make decisions based on CISG. Therefore, it identifies that Latvian courts are prone to the so-called homeward trend. The article concludes with the author discussing and suggesting possible solutions in order to minimise the homeward trend.

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The CISG and Common Law Courts: Is There Really a Problem?

Victoria University of Wellington Law Review ◽

10.26686/vuwlr.v35i3.5711 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 711

Author(s):

Henning Lutz

Keyword(s):

United Nations ◽

Common Law ◽

Case Law ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Related Case ◽

United Nations Convention ◽

The United Nations ◽

International Sale Of Goods ◽

Law Courts

The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) is generally perceived as a successful example of unified law with 62 contracting states so far. However, this impressive number has not resulted in an evenly-spread acceptance of the CISG worldwide. The scarcity of CISG-related case law from common law countries has led to the assumption that common law jurisdictions have specific issues with the application of the CISG. This article examines the various explanations for this phenomenon that have been put forward so far, primarily through an analysis of case law. The article disproves the contention that common law jurisdictions, when interpreting the CISG, employ a narrow approach, persistently adhere to common law specific concepts, or are generally reluctant to refer to scholarly writings. It emerges that the CISG is a well-known feature in most common law courtrooms, applied by judges with growing skill and prudence. The article concludes that often common law lawyers are more ignorant and unfamiliar with the CISG than judges and appeals to them to improve their knowledge by taking advantage of the numerous sources of information about the CISG.

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The International Contracting Practices Survey Project: an Empirical Study of the Value and Utility of the United Nations Convention On the International Sale Of Goods (Cisg) and the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts to Practitione

Journal of Law and Commerce ◽

10.5195/jlc.2008.15 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Peter L Fitzgerald

Keyword(s):

Empirical Study ◽

United Nations ◽

Common Law ◽

Choice Of Law ◽

Commercial Code ◽

Effective Choice ◽

United Nations Convention ◽

The United Nations ◽

International Sale Of Goods

In an era of globalization it is perplexing that so many U.S. practitioners, jurists, and legal academics continue to view contract issues as governed exclusively by state common law and the Uniform Commercial Code. In essence, a significant number of lawyers may be defaulting to the wrong law, in the absence of an effective choice of law clause, when trying to determine the rights and responsibilities arising out of international commercial transactions. The object of the International Commercial Contracting Practices Survey Project was to learn more about how and why this occurs.

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Interpreting merger clauses in contracts governed by the CISG: delineating the scope for the use of extrinsic evidence

Uniform Law Review ◽

10.1093/ulr/unab013 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Aditya Suresh

Keyword(s):

United Nations ◽

Common Law ◽

Advisory Council ◽

Sales Contracts ◽

Opt Out ◽

United Nations Convention ◽

The United Nations ◽

International Sale Of Goods ◽

International Sales

Abstract Under Article 8(3) of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), parties’ statements, prior negotiations and other external circumstances may be used to assess the presence of subjective or objective intent that can, in turn, be used to interpret contractual terms in international sales contracts governed by the CISG. However, parties to the contract can, through the adoption of an ‘entire agreement’ or ‘merger’ clause, opt out of this rule under Article 8(3) and restrict these interpretative tools in any manner as they see fit, depending on the requirements of their contract. Since the CISG does not explicitly address merger clauses and their effects, the CISG Advisory Council, in its Opinion no. 3, has provided a test to determine how the scope of a merger clause is to be determined. However, this test presents certain conceptual and practical limitations that render it inadequate for use in international commercial contracts. This article aims to analyse this test and the methods that have been used to interpret merger clauses under other uniform legal instruments and cases in common law jurisdictions. On this basis, the article proposes a test that attempts to fully capture the conceptual intent behind including merger clauses while ensuring that the parties are in the driver’s seat while determining their scope and effect.

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Reimagining transnational validity under the CISG

Journal of International Trade Law and Policy ◽

10.1108/jitlp-06-2017-0021 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 17 (3) ◽

pp. 156-168

Author(s):

Ndubuisi Nwafor ◽

Collins Ajibo ◽

Chidi Lloyd

Keyword(s):

United Nations ◽

Design Methodology ◽

Conceptual Approach ◽

Content Type ◽

United Nations Convention ◽

The United Nations ◽

International Sale Of Goods ◽

Analytical Approaches

Purpose The aims and objectives of the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) have been defeated by the intrusion of domestic laws of different contracting states in the interpretation of the provisions of this Convention. One of the most abused channels of this un-uniform interpretation is through art 4 of the CISG, which excludes the matters of validity and property from the Convention’s jurisdiction. This paper, therefore, aims to critically analyze the dangers of unsystematic reliance on the domestic laws in the interpretation of art 4 of the CISG on matters involving transnational validity and property. Design/methodology/approach The paper will use doctrinal methodology with critical and analytical approaches. The paper will incisively study the doctrines, theories and principles of law associated with validity of commercial contracts and the implications of exclusion of the doctrine of “validity” under the CISG. Findings The findings and contribution to knowledge will be by way of canvassing for a uniform transnational validity doctrine that will streamline and position the CISG to serve as a uniform international commercial convention. Originality/value This paper adopted a conceptual approach. Even though the paper ventilated the views of many writers on the issue of application of the doctrine of validity under the CISG, the paper, however, carved its own niche by making original recommendations on how to create a uniform validity jurisprudence under the CISG.

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