論涉外代理關係之準據法－－以「與代理行為關係最切地」之判斷為中心

The Law Application to Agency in the Foreign Matters --Focus on the Decision of ＂the place with which the agency relationship is most closely connected＂

隨著國際貿易型態的改變，跨國代理制度盛行，涉外代理等民事紛爭日益頻繁。以往由於法無明文，所以實務上針對此類事件，甚少單獨就有關代理關係認定準據法，而多是將代理法律關係融入契約問題中一併適用主契約準據法解決之。然而，新修正的涉外民事法律適用法，為因應國際潮流及貿易發展之需求，特別參照相關國際性公約，針對代理三面關係新增準據法之規定，其立意及用心實值得肯定。新法中不論就「本人與代理人間」或「本人與相對人間」所生之代理關係，原則上皆採取以「當事人意思自主原則」為主，「最重要牽連關係原則」為輔的立法模式，規定若當事人間有「明示合意」應適用之法律者，即以該法律為其準據法；若無明示之合意，則依「與代理行為關係最切地之法律」。然而，就代理的三面關係而言，三方當事人之利害關係各異，且不論在學說或立法例上對於準據法選擇所側重之點亦不盡相同，究應以本人利益之保護為主，還是該偏重相對人之期待可能性，亦或須維護交易安全或行為地之公共秩序，似乎從不同的立足點出發，就會得到不同的「關係最切地之法」。為提高當事人於訴訟前對準據法之預見可能性，並減少將來法院在代理關係準據法認定上之衝突，本文擬就日本於2006年制訂法律適用通則法時，對於代理準據法之相關議論進行分析，並比較作為本次立法主要參考來源之1978年海牙代理準據法公約之規定，進而於文末就我國涉外民事法律適用法相關規定作進一步的探討與評析，試著在「最重要牽連關係原則」的彈性選法規則之下，儘可能地提供一套「相對」明確且具體的判斷標準。希望藉由本次涉外民事法律適用法之修正以及本文粗淺的論述與分析，能夠提高將來實務判決在涉外代理關係準據法運用上的明確性。

The amended Act Governing the Choice of Law in Civil Matters Involving Foreign Elements increased the new provisions regarding the choice of governing law for the agency relationship, among which Article 17 states that the effectiveness of the agency given by the principal to the agent shall be in according with the governing law agreed by both parties. If there is no governing law agreed by both parties, the governing law shall be decided via the Most Significant Relationship (＂MSR＂). As to the governing law between the principal and the third party, the MSR shall also apply pursuant to Article 18. While the MSR has its flexibility when choosing the governing law on a case by case basis, MSR has its own defeats such as the uncertainty and instability for the choice of governing law. Thus, further research is still required in this regard to help the party to foresee the governing law to be applied and to reduce the conflict judgments rendered by the courts. This Article will discuss the issue mentioned above based on Japanese Act on General Rules for Application of Law enacted in 2006 and Convention of 14 March 1978 on the Law Application to Agency.