Comparative Contract Law

This entry provides an overview of comparative contract law. It shows several differences between the civil legal systems and the common law in relation to contract law. It offers references to English and US-American law, and covers some civil law countries, including France and Germany.

The entry also covers the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts and the Principles of European Contract Law.

Contracts in Comparative Law

Approaches to Comparative Contract Law

International Commercial Contracts

Bases for Enforcement

Historical Background in Roman Law

Common-Law and Civilian Solutions

Bases for Refusing Enforcement

Formalities Required for Enforceability

Requirement of Agreement

Offer and Acceptance; Definitiveness of the Contract

Precontractual Liability

The Content of the Contract

Introduction

Integrity of the Writing

Performance and Breach

Determining Whether There Has Been a Breach

Determining Whether Breach Justifies Ending Relationship

Changed Circumstances—Supervening Events

Remedies

Damages

Stipulated Damages

Specific Relief

Rights of Third Parties

Further Reading

Drobnig Ulrich , General Principles of European Contract Law , in: Sarcevic/Volken (Hrsg.), Dubrovnik Lectures, New York: Oceana (1986), S. 305-333
Ferrari Franco , Comparative Ruminations on the Foreseeability of Damages in Contract Law , 53 Lou. L. Rev. (1993), 1257-1269
Heiz Christoph R. , Validity of Contracts Under the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, April 11 1980, and Swiss Contract Law [analysis of error or mistake under the CISG and Swiss law] , 20 Vand. J. Transnat’l L. (1987), 639-663 ; available online at: https://www.cisg.law.pace.edu/cisg/biblio/heiz.html
Hellner Jan , The UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods: Its Influence on National Sales and Contract Law , in: Cranston/Goode (Hrsg.): Commercial and Consumer Law – National and International Dimensions, Oxford: Clarendon Press (1993), S. 41-53
Hu Run Fu / Reiley Eldon H. , Doing Business in China After Tiananmen Square: The Impact of Chinese Contract Law and the U.N. Convention on the Sale of Goods on Sino-American Business Transactions , 24 U. So. Fla. L. Rev. (1989), 25-94
Lando Ole , Comments: European Contract Law , 31 Am. J. Comp. L. (1983), 653-659
Lando Ole , Principles on European Contract Law: An Alternative to or a Precursor of European Legislation? , RabelsZ 56 (1992), 261-273 = 40 Am. J. Comp. L. (1992), 573-585
Lookofsky Joseph M. , Rules of Contract Law: Selections from the Uniform Commercial Code, the Convention of Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, and the Restatement (second) of Contracts With material on contract drafting and sample examination questions and answers, Boston: Little Brown (1993)
Nimmer Raymond T. , Uniform Codification of Commercial Contract Law , 18 Rutgers Computer & Tech. L.J. (1992), 465-499
Reiley Eldon H. / Fu Hu Run , Doing Business in China After Tiananmen Square: The Impact of Chinese Contract Law and the U.N. Convention on Sale of Goods on Sino-American Business Transactions , 24 U. S.F. L. Rev. (1989), 25-94
Ross Lester , Force Majeure and Related Doctrines of Excuse in Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China , Zhongguófa yánjiu xuékan 1991, 58-106
Townsend Deborah E. , The Foreign Economic Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China: A New Approach to Remedies , 25 Stan. J. Int’l L. (1989), 479-510
, Rules of contract law Selections from the Uniform commercial code, the Convention of Contracts for the International Sale of Goods,and the Restatement (second) of contracts : with material on contract drafting and sample examination question and answers, Boston: Little, Brown (1993)
Di Matteo Larry A. , An International Contract Law Formula: The Informality of International Business Transactions Plus the Internationalization of Contract Law Equals Unexpected Contractual Liability , 23 Syracuse J. Int’l L. & Com. (1997), 67-111
Bonell Michael Joachim , An International Restatement of Contract Law – The UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts , “Irvington, NY: Transnational Juris (1994) ”
Bonell Michael Joachim , An International Restatement of Contract Law, 2nd edition The UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts, Irvington-on-Hudson, N.Y.: Transnational Publishers (1997)
Lando Ole / Beale Hugh , Principles of European Contract Law, Part I: Performance, non-performance and remedies , Deventer: Nijhoff (1995)
Schmidt Folke , The International Contract Law in the context of Some of its Sources , “14 Am. J. Comp. L. (1965), 1-37 ”
Honka Hannu , Harmonization of Contract Law through International Trade: A Nordic Perspective , 11 Tul. Civ. L. F. (1996), 111-184
Zhang Yuqing / McLean James S. , China’s Foreign Economic Contract Law: Its Significance and Analysis , 8 Nw. J. Int’l L. & Bus. (1987), 120-144
De Ly Filip , Commercial Law as a Refuge from Contract Law: A Comparative and Uniform Law Perspective (Symposium) , 45 Wayne L.R. (2000), 1825 ff.
Jianhua Zong / Guanghua Yu , China’s Uniform Contract Law: Progress and Problems , 17 UCLA Pacific Basin L.J. (1999), 1-31
Liming Wang , Fundamental Principles of China’s Contract Law , 13 Colum. J. of Asian Law (1999), 1-35
Mo John Shijian , The Code of contract law of the People’s Republic of China and the Vienna Sales Convention , 15 American University international law review : Washington College of Law, American University (Washington, D.C.)(1999), 209
Akseli N. Orkun , Commentary an whether and the extent to which the Principles of European Contract Law (PECL) may be used to help to interpret Article 16 of the CISG , The Vindobona Journal 2003, Vol. 7, Nr. 1, p. 151 ff.
Wu Dong , The Effect of Fundamental Breach on Passage of Risk in the International Sale of Goods under the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods: Comparative Analysis with the Contract Law of the People’s Republic of China , The Vindobona Journal 2003, Vol. 7, Nr. 2, p. 233 ff.