法律英语第九课合同法市公开课获奖课件

1、Lesson Nine Contract Law10/10/1法律英语第1页第1页The web of the lawMay not be quite seamless法律之网也许并非坚固无缝They are not ironclad and unchanging法律并非打不破和不可改变。10/10/2法律英语第2页第2页Contract Definition A contract is basically an agreement between two or more people which creates an obligation to do, or not do, somethin

2、g. The agreement creates a legal relationship of rights and duties. If the agreement is broken, then the law provides certain remedies. 10/10/3法律英语第3页第3页Three FactorsThere are three factors necessary to create a contract: 1) an offer, 2) acceptance, and 3) consideration. One party makes an offer, th

3、e second party must accept the offer and there must be consideration exchanged. Consideration has to be something of value.10/10/4法律英语第4页第4页Example of ContractsEmployment contractsService ContractsBuilding ConstructionInsurance ContractsContract involving real propertySale of Intangibles(stocks, bon

4、ds, patents, copyrights,etc)10/10/5法律英语第5页第5页Contract lawContract law covers the legal implications of a contract. For instance, contract law determines what is and is not consideration, whether a contract was actually intended, if the parties making the contract were legally competent, whether ther

5、e was fraud or duress involved, or how a contract is terminated. 10/10/6法律英语第6页第6页BackgroundUniform Commercial CodeConsumer Protection StatutesLabor LawInsurance Law涉及协议问题10/10/7法律英语第7页第7页美国协议法由法律确保执行强制执行程度法律补救办法Expectation damages预期补偿金Agreed upon remedies补救协议Equitable relief衡平救助10/10/8法律英语第8页第8页rel

6、iefintheformofspecificperformance特殊履行救助方式theinjunction禁令（暂时或最后采用或不采用某种行为命令）thedevelopmentofsocalled maximsofequitylaw形成所谓衡平法座右铭Specialcharacteristicsofequitylaw：10/10/9法律英语第9页第9页However,equitablereliefregularlywill lieonlywhenthecommonlawreliefis inadequate.但是，只有当普通法救助不充足时，才合用衡平救助。10/10/10法律英语第10页第1

7、0页Forinstance,specificperformanceforthepurchaseofrealproperty willbegrantedbecausecommonlawdamagesaredeemedtobeinadequatesince theycannotcompensatethebuyer inviewoftheuniquenessattributedto realproperty. 比如，对购买不动产提供特殊履行救助，由于普通法补偿被认为不充足，由于不动产含有特殊性，普通法补偿无法补偿买方。10/10/11法律英语第11页第11页假如房屋卖方于成交后出尔反尔了，那么买方按

8、普通法原则之要求得提出损害补偿之诉。但买方如要求强制卖方发售（即要求履行），则买方则援引是衡平法上原则了。Suppose that a vendor of house backs out on the deal. The vendee may sue for damages under common-law principles, but if he wants a court to force the seller to sell (specific performance) he uses principles developed in equity.10/10/12法律英语第12页第12

9、页“ordinary”commonlawreliefofdamages普通法要求补偿金救助“extraordinary”equityremedyofspecificperformance衡平法要求特定履行救助10/10/13法律英语第13页第13页 TEXTContract an agreement between two or more persons.Not merely a shared belief 不但仅是共有想法A common understanding as to something并且是对一些未来将要进行事项有共同理解10/10/14法律英语第14页第14页Contract

10、Document The set of papers in which such agreement is set forth.文献陈说契约一系列文献。10/10/15法律英语第15页第15页For lawyers Contract - an agreement that has legal effect. 协议是含有法律效力契约。It creates obligations for which some sort of legal enforcement will be available if performance is not forthcoming as promised. 它设置了

11、当不按约履行时，便可由某种法律强制手段确保实行义务。10/10/16法律英语第16页第16页Three elements in a transactioncontract1. The agreement-in-fact事实协议2. The agreement-in-written书面协议3. The set of rights and duties 一系列权利与义务10/10/17法律英语第17页第17页THE WAYS订立协议和执行协议办法 The role of lawyers and judges1. In creating contracts在制定协议中作用；2.in deciding

12、 disputes that may arise with respect to their performance在裁决履行协议时也许出现争议时作用；3.in fashioning appropriate remedies for their breach在形成对其违约适当补救时作用10/10/18法律英语第18页第18页Property A great of thing are susceptible “ownership”Tangible 有形 Intangible 无形10/10/19法律英语第19页第19页Ring bulldozerGone with the windThe Emp

13、ire State Building10/10/20法律英语第20页第20页Rights 国家保护该“所有些人”使用、享受乃至花费该物权利，将所有其它人排除在这种权利之外。Use Enjoy Consume Exclusion 10/10/21法律英语第21页第21页Real property 不动产Land buildings动产personal property10/10/22法律英语第22页第22页/real property:all land, structures, firmly attached and integrated equipment, anything growing

14、on the land, and all interests in the property.personal property (personalty) : movable assets (things, including animals) which are not real property, money or investments.10/10/23法律英语第23页第23页Less tangible property不太有形资产Copyrights 版权Patents 专利权Shares of corporate stock 公司股权Negotiable instruments 票据

15、权10/10/24法律英语第24页第24页Any social thatRecognizes property rightsAlso address the question of how it should respond when someone violates those rights10/10/25法律英语第25页第25页Even societies that do not permit private ownership of wealth to the degree that ours does are likely to recognize the personal right

16、s of individuals to be free from certain kinds of conduct 即使是那些对财产私有权许可没有达到我们这种程序社会，也会认可个人人身权利不受某种行为侵犯。10/10/26法律英语第26页第26页certain kinds of conduct给人造成身体伤害其它对个人自由或尊严侵犯Infliction of physical injuryOther interferences with freedom or dignity10/10/27法律英语第27页第27页Criminal law vs. tort lawCriminal law foc

17、uses in those violations of personal and property rights that society deems serious enough to be deterred by the threat of severe punishment for their commissionTort law considers what remedy should be made to the individuals so injured10/10/28法律英语第28页第28页Criminal lawtort lawoverlapTreason判国罪Tax eva

18、sion偷税罪Slander诽谤10/10/29法律英语第29页第29页Ownership of propertyInclude the right to use and consume the thing owned所有权包括对属于自己物品使用和花费权利be more to the advantage of the owner to transfer the right of the ownership to some other person in exchange for something else of value有时所有者以所有权与其它人互换有价值东西也许更有利。10/10/30法

19、律英语第30页第30页10/10/31法律英语第31页第31页Agreements for exchange are the means by which some resources are assembled and put to productive use.互换契约是将一些资源组合起来，使之得到有效利用手段。10/10/32法律英语第32页第32页Some agreement for exchange call for the immediate and simultaneous exchange of money for goods and services. 有效互换契约要求钞票与

20、货品、服务马上和同时互换。10/10/33法律英语第33页第33页Exchange of significant size涉及到大额交易时Both the planning and performance to be spread over a considerable period of time交易计划和履行都要经历相称长时间。10/10/34法律英语第34页第34页The law of contractsLegal mechanism for protecting the expectations that arise from the making of agreements for

21、the future exchange of various types of performance.协议法是保护预期法律机制，该预期产生于就未来交易各类履行而制定契约。转让财产提供服务支付货币10/10/35法律英语第35页第35页Legal problems do not always fit neatly into the pigeonholes that legal theorists have created.法律问题不也许总是与法理学家所创建分类完全相符。Frequently they raise issues involving more than one body of la

22、w.法律问题往往涉及到不止一部法律。10/10/36法律英语第36页第36页“fraud” conduct欺诈行为Lease agreements between landlord and tenant Property lawContract lawA breach of contractA tort10/10/37法律英语第37页第37页The web of the lawMay not be quite seamless法律之网也许并非坚固无缝They are not ironclad and unchanging法律并非打不破和不可改变。10/10/38法律英语第38页第38页Sour

23、ce /authority法律渊源 Primary source 首要法源Secondary source次要法源 以前司法判决成文法法令劝导性法源法学家解释美国法学会法律注释汇编10/10/39法律英语第39页第39页首要法源10/10/40法律英语第40页第40页次要法源10/10/41法律英语第41页第41页What are Restatements of the Law法律注释汇编Restatements are secondary sources that seek to restate the legal rules that constitute the common law i

24、n a particular area. They are written by the American Law Institute (ALI), a prestigious legal organization composed of noted professors, judges and lawyers. The ALI has completed Restatements in 15 areas of law including Torts, Contracts, Property, Conflict of Laws, Foreign Relations Law, and Produ

25、cts Liability. 10/10/42法律英语第42页第42页Contract lawCommon law Judge-made law法官定法Rules distilled from a composite of court decisions in prior cases. 从以前案件各种法官判决意见中抽取出来规则10/10/43法律英语第43页第43页Technical jargon 专业术语Full of strange wordsFamiliar words with unfamiliar or specialized meaningAssumpsit 口头商定Quantum

26、 meruit按合理价格给付 Consideration对价 Offer要约10/10/44法律英语第44页第44页Judicial system of decision-making 司法决议体制Stare decisis 遵从前例adherence to past decisions (Precedents)A prior decision with facts sufficiently similar to the case “subjudice”, that the court feels obliged to follow it and to render a similar dec

27、ision.以前案例事实与尚未判决案件事实非常相同，法院认为有义务按照前例做出类似判决。10/10/45法律英语第45页第45页Doctrine of stare decisisWhere precedent merely requires that courts look to previous decisions for guidance, stare decisis requires that a court follow their own decisions and the decisions of higher courts within the same jurisdiction

28、.For example, in the U.S., a state trial court must allow its own decisions and the decisions of appellate courts in that state; an intermediate appellate court must follow its own decisions and the decisions of the states highest appellate court. Federal courts of appeal must generally follow their

29、 own prior decisions and those of the U.S. States Supreme Court, but they are not bound by decisions of federal district courts or other appellate courts. 10/10/46法律英语第46页第46页Terms and proper namesTwo types of judicial precedentsBinding precedent: Where the doctrine of stare decisis applies, precede

30、nt is binding and a courts options are limited. A court must harmonize the result in the present case with past decisions. Only after explaining why previous cases are inapplicable may a court fashion new rules or modify existing ones. A court may never ignore or contradict binding precedent.Persuas

31、ive precedent: Where the doctrine of stare decisis is not applicable, as with decisions from other jurisdictions or lower courts in the same jurisdiction, courts are free to follow previous decisions or ignore them. Although courts are not bound by such decisions, they remain persuasive because thei

32、r reasoning can illuminate possible solutions to a problem.10/10/47法律英语第47页第47页Stare decisisLatin for to stand by things decided. Stare decisis is essentially the doctrine of precedent. Courts cite to stare decisis when an issue has been previously brought to the court and a ruling already issued. G

33、enerally, courts will adhere to the previous ruling, though this is not universally true. 10/10/48法律英语第48页第48页10/10/49法律英语第49页第49页从两个方面证实以判例法为主要依据法律制度合法性1. Offers a high degree of predictability of decision 提升了判决可预见性程度2. Puts a rein on the nature proclivity of judges to decide cases on the basis of

34、prejudice, personal emotion, or other improper factors. 限制法官在案件判决时以偏见、个人情感或其它不恰当原由于基础自然癖好。10/10/50法律英语第50页第50页10/10/51法律英语第51页第51页The characteristic of a systemWhich may sometimes be a virtue, sometimes a defect, of being static and conservative, generally oriented toward preservation of the status

35、quo.遵从前例制度特性是静止和守旧，总体上趋向于保持现实状况，这有时是长处，有时是缺点。10/10/52法律英语第52页第52页案例法长处，灵活性和成长能力，伴随一件件新案件告到法院，一个个新判决也就补充起来。这样法律就能跟上时代步伐并适应不断改变客观情况。案例法害处，就是上述长处反而。比如边沁曾对事后立法原则加以指责并称判例制度为狗法，他说：“是法官们在制度共同法，你知道他们是怎么样制定吗？就同一个人替他那条狗立法同样，狗做了人不让做事情，人们事先袖手旁观，然后在事发后揍他。这是人替狗立法办法，也是法官替你我立法方式。The advantage of the case law is the

36、 power of flexibility and growth. New decisions are constantly being added as new cases come before the courts. In this way the law tends to keep pace with the times and can adapt itself to changing circumstances. The drawbacks of case law in some cases merely the converse aspects of the advantages.

37、 For example, jeremy bentham criticised the principle of the law following the event dogs law system, it is, he says,the judges that make the common law , do you know how they make it ?just as a man makes laws for his dog, when your dog does something you want to break him of , you wait till he does

38、 it and then beat him , this is the way you make laws for your dog, this is the way the judge makes laws for you.10/10/53法律英语第53页第53页案例法受另一个指责，则是先例拘束力限制了审判上裁量，有些人还说，法官们是在替自己铸造脚镣。这一点能够用共同受雇说来加以阐明，此说是由上议院在普里斯特告福尔一案中所要求（1837），它说，假如两人在受雇范围内行事时，其中一人被同事伤害了，那么他俩雇主对这一疏忽不代为负责。在工业大发展时期利用这一规则，是极不公道。但是这条规则在（194

39、8年人身伤害法律改良法）予以废除前，却拘束了法官百多年之久。这其间，法官能做，只是限制这一规则利用。A further criticism is that the binding force of precedent limits judicial discretion. It has been said that judges are engaged in forging fetters for their own feet. This can beillustrated by the doctrine of common employment. Which was laid down by

40、 the house of lords in Priestley v.Fowler(1837). This doctrine said that if a employee was injured by a fellow employee whilst both were acting within the scope of their employment, their employer was not liable vicariously for the negligence.the rule operated in a most unjust fasion during the peri

41、od of great industrial development, but it continued to bind judges for over a century until it was finally abolished by the Law Reform(Personal Injuries)Act,1948.all the judges could do in the meantime was to limit its scope. 10/10/54法律英语第54页第54页Blind adherence When a common law judge concludes tha

42、t blind adherence to precedent would produce an unjust result in the case presented for decision.普通法法官盲目坚持判例，也会造成对当前案例判决不公正结果。10/10/55法律英语第55页第55页避免办法：A precedent is considered to be “binding” on a court only if it was decided by that same court or by an appellate court of higher rank in the same ju

43、risdiction.同一个管辖区相同法院或其上级巡回法院作出先例判决才有约束力。Other precedents are be “ persuasive”.其它判例只含有劝导性。10/10/56法律英语第56页第56页A precedent If a precedent of the latter type is in fact unpersuasive, the judge is free to disregard it. 假如后一个类型判例事实上没有劝导性，法官能够忽略该判例。10/10/57法律英语第57页第57页If the precedent is not merely persu

44、asive, but binding, it cannot simply be ignored. It may, however, be avoided. 假如判例不但有劝导性并且有约束力，那么该判例不能简朴地被忽略，但却能够被回避。A precedent 10/10/58法律英语第58页第58页If the facts of the present case do not include a fact that appears to have been necessary (“material”) to the earlier decision, the court may “disting

45、uish” the precedent, render a different decision. 假如以前判决不包含对当前案例有实质必要影响事实，那么法院能够“区分”前例，提出不同判决。A precedent 10/10/59法律英语第59页第59页If the earlier precedent is indeed binding, but is difficult or impossible to distinguish, there is one other way to avoid its effect.假如比较早判例确实有约束力，但是难以或无法区别，有一个其它办法避免其效力。A p

46、recedent 10/10/60法律英语第60页第60页If the court of decision is the one that created the precedent (or is a higher court), it can simply “overrule” the early decision.假如判决法院与作出先例法院相同，或者比作出先例法院等级高，它能够“推翻” 以前判决。A precedent 10/10/61法律英语第61页第61页10/10/62法律英语第62页第62页Overruling relatively drastic actionIs usually

47、 reserved for instances in which the court feels that the rule established by the earlier precedent was ill conceived at the outset or it has been outmoded by the later developments.推翻前例是个比较激烈行为，普通在法院觉得以前判例一开始就设计错误时或者伴随以后发展该判例不合时宜时才采用。10/10/63法律英语第63页第63页Contract lawHistorically, as common law普通法Rat

48、her than statute 制定法Exception : “statute of frauds”“欺诈条例”是个例外Requires certain contracts to be evidenced by a signed writing 该条例要求一些协议是书面协议。10/10/64法律英语第64页第64页Statute of fraudsLaw in every state which requires that certain documents be in writing, such as real property titles and transfers (conveyan

49、ces), leases for more than a year, wills and some types of contracts. The original statute was enacted in England in 1677 to prevent fraudulent title claims.10/10/65法律英语第65页第65页Statute of fraudsThe statute of frauds has itself become so overlaid by court decisions that it has more of quality of comm

50、on law than of a modern statute.该欺诈条例本身已添加了如此多法官判决意见，以至于它含有普通法品质已经超出其当代制定法品质。10/10/66法律英语第66页第66页Contract law Essentially a common law system, except be affected by a remarkable modern statute, the Uniform Commercial Code. 除非受到著名当代制定法统一商法典影响，协议法至今还保留着普通法体系。10/10/67法律英语第67页第67页When a court decided a

51、case governed by a statute, its reasoning differs from that used when common law principles are applied.当法院依照制订法判案时，法院推论与采取普通法标准时是不同。10/10/68法律英语第68页第68页Statute Any court , even the highest court of the jurisdiction, is bound to follow the provisions of a valid statute that apply to the dispute befo

52、re it. 所有法院甚至最高法院都要依据有效制定法条款要求来处理提交到它面前争议。10/10/69法律英语第69页第69页Fundamental political tenet The legislature has ultimate lawmaking power so long as its acts within the bounds of its constitutional authority. 社会基本政治原则：只要在宪法授权范围之内，立法机关有最后立法权。Modify修改Eliminate废除10/10/70法律英语第70页第70页对制订法文字有不同解释Courts seek

53、to ascertain the legislatures purpose in enacting it, in order to adopt a construction that will best effectuate that purpose.法院试图拟定立法机关意图，以便采用能最好地实现该意图解释。Legislative history10/10/71法律英语第71页第71页American Law InstituteFormed in 1923. Preparation and promulgation of what purported to be accurate and au

54、thoritative summaries of the rules of common law in various fields 美国法律协会准备和公布各领域准确权威普通法规则汇编。Restatement注释汇编10/10/72法律英语第72页第72页American Law InstituteThe American Law Institute(ALI) was established in 1923 to define, summarize, or restate existing common law. Between 1923 and 1944, Restatements were

55、 adopted for the law of agency, conflict of laws, contracts, judgments, property, restitution, security, torts, and trusts. 10/10/73法律英语第73页第73页The Restatement of Contracts协议法注释汇编The first and most successful “restatement”Acceptance and use by the bench and barAdopted by ALI in 1932. 10/10/74法律英语第74

56、页第74页The RestatementConsists of “black-letter” statements of the “general rule”关于“普通规则”“黑体字”陈说Supported with at least some commentary and illustration 至少有几种注释和例证作补充Dont have the force of law没有法律效力10/10/75法律英语第75页第75页The RestatementsSecondary authority 次要法源Remarkably persuasive 非常有说服力A court often justify its decision by simply citing and quoting The Restatements rule on a given point.法院