Civil Liability for Defects in Construction Contracts : A Comparative Study of Japanese and German Law

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H07230
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Civil law
• Research Institution: Nagoya Keizai University
• Principal Investigator: Nagaiwa Keiko 名古屋経済大学, 法学部, 准教授 (90805582)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-08-25 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 請負契約 / 建築請負 / ドイツ法 / 契約不適合 / 瑕疵担保

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Japan's Civil Code Amendment Act enacted in 2017, the provision of liability for material non-conformity in contract of sales shall apply mutatis mutandis pursuant to the provision of liability for non-conformity in contracts for work, and there is a problem with how will the reform affect the conventional theory and court decisions. On the other hand, in Germany the difference between the general provision of liability for non-perfomance and the specific liability for non-comformity in contracts has been intensely discussed.
I investigated for that the characteristic concept of “Acceptance（Abnahme) ” for contracts for work has important functions under German law, in consideration of that the contractor’s first performance obligation and the work of the contract is being produced with individual characteristics. This concept has importance to protect the interests of contracting parties and to relate to the balancing of rights and obligations between them.

Free Research Field

民法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

債務不履行の一般規定と仕事の瑕疵に対する責任に関する規定の適用関係を明確にすることは、瑕疵責任論における曖昧性及び予測困難性を除去し、紛争解決の迅速化と紛争発生の予防を図るうえで重要である。本研究は、ドイツにおける議論の検討から、請負に特徴的な問題を示すことによって、わが国の改正法における理論上の課題に対して、そこで考慮されるべき要素を提示するものであり、当事者間の適切な瑕疵リスクの分配の実現に向けた理論構築に一定の視座を与えうる。