因みに、英国におけるHague Visby立法は、“Carriage of Goods by Sea Act, 1971”ですが、そのSection 1, sub-section(4)及びsub-section(6)に次の様な規定が有ります。
"(4)..., nothing in this section shall be taken as applying anything in the Rules (筆者注：Hague Visby Rulesのこと) to any contract for the carriage of goods by sea, unless the contract expressly or by implication provides for the issue of a bill of lading or any similar document of title."
"(6)..., the Rules shall have the force of law in relation to -
(a) any bill of lading if the contract contained in or evidenced by it expressly provides that the Rules shall govern the contract,
and
(b) any receipt which is a non-negotiable document marked as such if the contract contained in or evidenced by it is a contract for carriage of goods by sea which expressly provides that the Rules are to govern the contract as if the receipt were a bill of lading."
この規定でも、SEA WAYBILLの場合、その約款中に、“the Rules are to govern the contract as if the receipt were a bill of lading”という趣旨の明文の規定が無い限り、HAGUE VISBY RULESは、法律としての効力を持たず、従って、たとえ摂取されていても、単なる契約約款の1つに過ぎず、他により明確な約款
(例えば、「(Hague Visby Rulesを摂取した条項の規定に拘わらず、)運送人の過失は免責とする。」など。)
が有れば、(「契約自由の原則」に従い、)当事者の意思通りに解釈され、当該特約が生きることになると思います。
(早坂剛)
