As we have noted on this blog,
the common law generally imposes no duty on a contracting party to negotiate in
good faith. This is so even when parties ‘agree’ to agree, that is, purport to conclude
a contract leaving certain (sometimes essential) terms to be agreed in the
future. The House of Lords held in the well-known case of Walford v Miles [1992] AC 128 that such an agreement imposes no
obligation on either party to attempt to reach agreement on the terms left open.
But this is not the end of the story: in many cases, the courts have been
willing to imply a term in order to
make the contract effective, for example, by concluding that ‘price to be
agreed’ means ‘reasonable price to be determined by the arbitrator’. The entire
law on this subject was reviewed by the Court of Appeal in two leading cases, Mamidoil-Jetoil
Greek Petroleum Company SA v Okta Crude Oil Refinery and BJ Aviation Ltd v
Pool Aviation. There is a valuable summary, in the form of ten
(non-exhaustive) principles, of the effect of the numerous authorities at
paragraph 69 of Rix LJ’s judgment in the former case. Principle (vii) is that
the court will more readily imply a term to make the contract effective “where where one party
has either already had the advantage of some performance…”
the common law generally imposes no duty on a contracting party to negotiate in
good faith. This is so even when parties ‘agree’ to agree, that is, purport to conclude
a contract leaving certain (sometimes essential) terms to be agreed in the
future. The House of Lords held in the well-known case of Walford v Miles [1992] AC 128 that such an agreement imposes no
obligation on either party to attempt to reach agreement on the terms left open.
But this is not the end of the story: in many cases, the courts have been
willing to imply a term in order to
make the contract effective, for example, by concluding that ‘price to be
agreed’ means ‘reasonable price to be determined by the arbitrator’. The entire
law on this subject was reviewed by the Court of Appeal in two leading cases, Mamidoil-Jetoil
Greek Petroleum Company SA v Okta Crude Oil Refinery and BJ Aviation Ltd v
Pool Aviation. There is a valuable summary, in the form of ten
(non-exhaustive) principles, of the effect of the numerous authorities at
paragraph 69 of Rix LJ’s judgment in the former case. Principle (vii) is that
the court will more readily imply a term to make the contract effective “where where one party
has either already had the advantage of some performance…”
This issue arose recently in the Court of
Appeal in MRI Trading AG v
Erdenet Mining Corporation LLC, a case that neatly illustrates principle
(vii) and, more generally, one factor that persuades the court to imply a term
to make a contract effective: part performance of a contract and the existence
of a network of agreements of which the supposed contract is part. MRI Trading
agreed to sell, and EMC agreed to buy, a certain quantity of copper concentrate
in 2005. Disputes arose between then parties and arbitration was commenced at
the London Metal Exchange [“LME”]. The parties then drew up a Settlement
Agreement dated 30.01.2009 which provided that the arbitration would be
discontinued; that MRI would give up all its claims under the previous contract.
On its part, EMC agreed that it “shall
sell MRI Trading 40,000 WMT of EMC Copper Concentrates in each of 2009 and
2010, all pursuant to new, separate contracts between EMC and MRI Trading…”
The present dispute arose out of EMC’s purported obligation to sell copper
concentrate in 2010. As envisaged by the Settlement Agreement, a new contract
was agreed, which provided that “MRI agrees
to buy…and EMC agrees to sell…40,000 WMT of concentrate plus or minus 10
% at EMC’s option”. The crucial clauses of this contract, and the basis of EMC’s
contention that there was no contract at all, were 6.1, 9.1 and 9.2. These
provided, in summary, that shipping schedule (6.1), Treatment Charge [“TC”] and
Refining Charge [“RC”] “shall be agreed
during the negotiation of terms for 2010”.
Appeal in MRI Trading AG v
Erdenet Mining Corporation LLC, a case that neatly illustrates principle
(vii) and, more generally, one factor that persuades the court to imply a term
to make a contract effective: part performance of a contract and the existence
of a network of agreements of which the supposed contract is part. MRI Trading
agreed to sell, and EMC agreed to buy, a certain quantity of copper concentrate
in 2005. Disputes arose between then parties and arbitration was commenced at
the London Metal Exchange [“LME”]. The parties then drew up a Settlement
Agreement dated 30.01.2009 which provided that the arbitration would be
discontinued; that MRI would give up all its claims under the previous contract.
On its part, EMC agreed that it “shall
sell MRI Trading 40,000 WMT of EMC Copper Concentrates in each of 2009 and
2010, all pursuant to new, separate contracts between EMC and MRI Trading…”
The present dispute arose out of EMC’s purported obligation to sell copper
concentrate in 2010. As envisaged by the Settlement Agreement, a new contract
was agreed, which provided that “MRI agrees
to buy…and EMC agrees to sell…40,000 WMT of concentrate plus or minus 10
% at EMC’s option”. The crucial clauses of this contract, and the basis of EMC’s
contention that there was no contract at all, were 6.1, 9.1 and 9.2. These
provided, in summary, that shipping schedule (6.1), Treatment Charge [“TC”] and
Refining Charge [“RC”] “shall be agreed
during the negotiation of terms for 2010”.
The arbitral tribunal found that the shipping
schedule, TC and RC were essential terms
of the contract to buy copper concentrate; that since these terms were not
agreed, there was no obligation on EMC to sell. Crucially, the Tribunal held
that the contract should be construed without
reference to the Settlement Agreement, overlooking, as Tomlinson LJ points
out at [14], that the Entire Agreement Clause in the contract expressly excluded the Settlement Agreement. Once
it came to this conclusion, it could not be said that EMC had received any
benefit for the purpose of Rix LJ’s seventh principle: the fact that MRI had
abandoned its claims by virtue of the Settlement Agreement was irrelevant
because the Settlement Agreement could not be taken into account in construing
the Sale Agreement.
schedule, TC and RC were essential terms
of the contract to buy copper concentrate; that since these terms were not
agreed, there was no obligation on EMC to sell. Crucially, the Tribunal held
that the contract should be construed without
reference to the Settlement Agreement, overlooking, as Tomlinson LJ points
out at [14], that the Entire Agreement Clause in the contract expressly excluded the Settlement Agreement. Once
it came to this conclusion, it could not be said that EMC had received any
benefit for the purpose of Rix LJ’s seventh principle: the fact that MRI had
abandoned its claims by virtue of the Settlement Agreement was irrelevant
because the Settlement Agreement could not be taken into account in construing
the Sale Agreement.
The general reluctance of the English courts to interfere
with the reasoning of an arbitral Tribunal, particularly when no question of
jurisdiction arises, is well-known. Tomlinson LJ notes that two very
experienced judges of the Commercial Court (Christopher Clarke J., granting
leave to appeal, and Eder J., who decided the appeal) were nevertheless driven
to conclude that this award was “obviously wrong” and one that no reasonable
Tribunal correctly applying the law on the point could have made. In the
appeal, MRI’s principal contention was that the court could not revisit the
Tribunal’s conclusion that shipping schedule, TC and RC are essential terms:
that is a matter for the Tribunal alone. Tomlinson LJ rejected this submission,
essentially because the Tribunal had failed to take the Settlement Agreement
into account, and also because the parties had supplied a mechanism to resolve
this dispute, should agreement not be forthcoming: arbitration. The Tribunal’s
conclusion was also inconsistent with the peremptory language of other portions
of the agreement, particularly the Recitals, which placed a positive obligation
on the parties to buy and sell, respectively. The Court was therefore willing
to imply a term. As Tomlinson LJ explains at [19]:
with the reasoning of an arbitral Tribunal, particularly when no question of
jurisdiction arises, is well-known. Tomlinson LJ notes that two very
experienced judges of the Commercial Court (Christopher Clarke J., granting
leave to appeal, and Eder J., who decided the appeal) were nevertheless driven
to conclude that this award was “obviously wrong” and one that no reasonable
Tribunal correctly applying the law on the point could have made. In the
appeal, MRI’s principal contention was that the court could not revisit the
Tribunal’s conclusion that shipping schedule, TC and RC are essential terms:
that is a matter for the Tribunal alone. Tomlinson LJ rejected this submission,
essentially because the Tribunal had failed to take the Settlement Agreement
into account, and also because the parties had supplied a mechanism to resolve
this dispute, should agreement not be forthcoming: arbitration. The Tribunal’s
conclusion was also inconsistent with the peremptory language of other portions
of the agreement, particularly the Recitals, which placed a positive obligation
on the parties to buy and sell, respectively. The Court was therefore willing
to imply a term. As Tomlinson LJ explains at [19]:
In my judgment the language used by the parties in both the
Settlement Agreement and the 2010 contract shows beyond any doubt that they did
not intend that, in the language of Chadwick LJ in the B J Aviation case, they should remain free to agree or to disagree
about the TC/RC and the shipping schedule as their own perceived interests
should dictate with the result that, should they not reach an agreement, there
would be no obligation in respect of 2010 at all. I have no doubt that, just as in Foley v Classique Coaches and Wessex v Fine Fare [1967] 1 Lloyd’s Rep
53, another decision of this court, a term is to be implied that the TC/RC and
shipping schedule shall be reasonable, and in the event of any dispute as to
the appropriate charges and schedule the dispute is to be determined by
arbitration.
Settlement Agreement and the 2010 contract shows beyond any doubt that they did
not intend that, in the language of Chadwick LJ in the B J Aviation case, they should remain free to agree or to disagree
about the TC/RC and the shipping schedule as their own perceived interests
should dictate with the result that, should they not reach an agreement, there
would be no obligation in respect of 2010 at all. I have no doubt that, just as in Foley v Classique Coaches and Wessex v Fine Fare [1967] 1 Lloyd’s Rep
53, another decision of this court, a term is to be implied that the TC/RC and
shipping schedule shall be reasonable, and in the event of any dispute as to
the appropriate charges and schedule the dispute is to be determined by
arbitration.
Sporadic Reaction (jottings):
This instantly brings to one's mind a (contract) agreement, dubbed so but incomplete, in many respects. Such type can be said to be very commonly-come-across these days. Reference is those virtually one-sided agreements. In that, the terms and conditions, as drafted and incorporated, are heavily leaning to the side of the principal party being the, first named. For a glaring but often noted instance in real life, focus may be made to an “agreement to sell" executed by by a promoter in respect of sale of an 'apartment' (i.e. unit of a building – seen mushrooming in every place – village or town or city). No doubt, there are certain crucial clauses of stipulation e.g. known as ”‘Indemnity Clause” which are necessarily required to be included. For, without those clauses, any agreement of the referred type, even on the first blush, might have to be compulsively inferred to have been deliberately drafted , in a shamefully crafty manner, only with a view to defeating the purposes/interests of the second party. The most painfully irritating part of it all is the fact that , if and when confronted, the first named party invariably tries and seeks shelter by saying that the document has been drafted by his project consultant and /or law adviser, rolled into one,
Indisputably, no fist named principal party, much less his professional law adviser, if qualified or duly equipped, can rightfully and lawfully claim, or defend self by making an averment to the effect that, any such agreement has to be considered as a ‘contract agreement’, within the framework of the law, That is, as one truly effective and purposeful, in law; More so, if due regard be had to, and is kept in full view, the governing law (INCLUDING ALL RELATED STATUTORYRULES AND REGULATIONS as are in force); such as the special enactment governing apartments, in force , in most of the states, If were to be accepted, is, for obvious reasons, bound to have the disastrous result of defeating the rights and interests vested by law in the other party ,being the second named; in the referred case, purchaser of the apartment.
(Anyone truly interested, having direct concern or otherwise, may care to go through the related Blogs on the topic of 'realty sector'/'apartment law'- @swamilook
(May be contd.)