Vocabulary notes

The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods – Конвенция Организации Объединенных Наций согласно Контрактов на международную продажу товаров

purchase contract – контракт купли-продажи

to take precedence – иметь приоритет

legal precepts – нормы права

commercial code – свод законов

Ex. 2. You are a member of the Ukrainian business delegation. Your main aim is to conclude a purchase contract with your Portugese partner. Is it possible to use the U.N. Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods for this purpose? See Article I of this Convention. It runs:

“… when the rules of private international law lead to the application of the law of a Contracting state [by agreement of the parties or a collision rule]”.

“… когда нормы международного частного права служат применением права страны-учасницы [согласно с соглашением сторон или колизиею норм]”.

Check yourself:

This applies even in cases where the parties to the contract do not have their place of business in countries that are party to the Convention. Thus, for example if purchase contract is signed by a business in Ukraine, which is a signatory country, and a business from Portugal, which is not, and a collision rule or agreement by the parties refers to the law of Ukraine, or if neither of the parties to the contract has its place of business in a signatory country but they agree on use of the legal system of a signatory country as the law of a third country, then the Convention is applied, because it is a component of the chosen legal system.

Ex. 3.

Brainstorming

Divide into two groups.

Take a sheet of paper and write down advantages and disadvantages of the collectivist-inclined states legal systems (one group) and democratic states legal system (another group). Time limit is 10 minutes. Appoint a spokesperson from each group who’ll present your decisions.

Vocabulary notes

business – предприятие

a signatory country – страна - участница (Конвенции)

collision rule – колизейная норма

to apply in cases – касаться случаев

to refer to the law – содержать посылание на закон

chosen legal system – выбранная правовая система

Ex. 4. Look at the list of the prepositions in the box. How can use them in the sentences below?

in	among	to	with
by	of	on	since
into	between	for	from

1. The legal system … a country refers … the system of rules or laws.

2. International law can be divided … two categories.

3. Legal system can vary … countries.

4. The relations … Ukraine and Great Britain are improving now.

5. The UN Convention … Contracts … International Sale of Goods was adopted … 1980.

6. The laws enacted … governments … democratic states tend to be pro-private enterprise.

7. They have an important impact … the attractiveness … a country as an investment site.

8. Some legal entities have already placed many orders … them.

9. The laws governing property rights … particular reference … patents, copyrights and trademark have been debated … 1995.

10. Different national legal system may compete … jurisdiction.

Ex. 5. List A contains some basic terms in the field of international law. Choose a term in A to fit each definition in B.

A	B
1. law	a. as it exists in practice.
2. de jure	b. possessions, things owned, unrestricted and exclusive right to a thing.
3. property	c. exclusive right of authors of original writing and artistic work to sell or reproduce their work for their life time plus fifty years.
4. de facto	d. special designs, names or unique symbols that identify a product, service or company.
5. trade mark	e. according to legal requirements.
6. copyright	f. rule of conduct formally recognized as binding or enforced by authority.

Ex. 6. Match the key terms in Line A with their English equivalents in Line B.

A	B
1. trade practices	а) иметь приоритет
2. commercial cases	б) контрактное соглашение
3. applicable legal system	в) Международное Коммерческое Соглашение
4. to take priority	г) торговые обычаи
5. provision	д) решающая правовая система
6. mandatory provisions	е) стороны контракта
7. to depart from	ж) статья
8. contractual agreement	з) Торговая палата
9. parties to the contract	и) обязательные нормы
10. interpretive rules	й) толковые правила
11. International Commercial Terms (INCOTERMS)	к) коммерческие отношения
12. Chamber of Commerce	л) уклонятся от

Ex. 7. Translate the text into English using the key terms given in Ex. 6.

Торговые обычаи – правила некоторой отрасли, которые не кодифицируются. Обычаи могут быть разными, соответственно их вида товара, вида коммерческих отношений и т.д. Всегда необходимо выяснять, признаёт ли решающая правовая система некоторые торговые обычаи, и за каких условий.

Правовые системы, а также Конвенция Организации Объединенных Наций «О контрактах и международной продаже товаров», содержат похожие статьи. Торговые обычаи всегда имеют приоритет перед обязательными нормами решающей правовой системы, от выполнение которых стороны не могут уклониться путём составления контрактного соглашения.

Стороны контракта могут сговориться об уклонении от некоторых толкованных правил.

Международные Коммерческие соглашения являются системой определенных толковых правил, впервые опубликованных Парижской международной Торговой палатой в 1936 г.