《裝卸時間與滯期費》的基本原則

最新 03-02

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魏長庚船長簡介：1996-2000 年在大連海事大學學習，獲得航海技術專業學士學位。具有16年海上船舶航行經驗，魏長庚船長一直熱愛海商法（重點是英國海商法）的學習，並致力海商法的翻譯工作（包括Informa出版的Bill of Lading（提單），Laytime and Demurrage（裝卸時間與滯期費）等書籍。

《裝卸時間與滯期費》中英文對照--第6版

General Principles基本原則

1.1 Laytime and demurrage comprise one aspect of English maritime law, in particular the law relating to voyage charters. The present law has for the most part been developed by judicial interpretation of clauses in commercial charterparties over the last one hundred and ?fty years, although some of the basic principles were established somewhat earlier, at around the time that Queen Victoria came to the throne.

1.1裝卸時間和滯期構成英國海事法律的一個方面，特別是有關航次租合同方面的法律。這150年來，當前絕大部分的法律通過商業租船合同的條款的司法解釋已經得到很大發展，儘管如此，在大約維多利亞女王即位稍早時期，已經建立了一些基本原則。

1.2 The development of this branch of the law has been closely allied to the historical and social changes that took place as sail gave way to steam, and more recently as improved methods of communication have given greater central control to those controlling the commercial adventure, which a voyage charter still represents. It is perhaps one of the few remaining areas of English common law in which there has been little statutoryintervention.

1.2這一法律分支的發展與從帆船過渡到蒸汽時代的歷史和社會變革一直是密不可分，還有最近通信方式的革新對充分掌控這種商業冒險活動給予強有力支撐，航次合同仍然是這方面的代表。它也許是英國普通法中所剩下的幾個很少有法定強制干預的領域之一。

1.3 The establishment of standard forms of charter, the meaning of almost each word of which has been the subject of judicial interpretation, might have resulted in a static law, but fortunately that has not been so and the law continues to develop to meet present and future needs. The increasing use of additional clauses to charterparties, some of which are not always accidentally ambiguous, will also no doubt continue to provide much material for future litigation.

1.3租船合同標準格式的確立形成，幾乎其中每一單詞的含義都經過司法的解釋，本有可能促成一種靜態的法律，但幸運的是這並非如此並且法律繼續不斷地發展以滿足現在和將來的需求。越來越多的租船格式使用附加的條款，其中一些並不總是故意模糊不清，這也毫無疑問將會為未來的訴訟繼續提供大量的素材。

1.4 Whilst most of the cases relating to laytime and demurrage arise in the context of charterparties, it must always be remembered that the law relating to these matters also plays an important role in contracts, such as sale contracts.

1.4雖然有關裝卸時間和滯期費的案例大部分是出現在租船合同的背景下，必須永遠銘記的是，有關這些問題的法律在合同中扮演著重要的角色，如貨物買賣銷售合同。