The Contra Proferentem Rule: Contract Law’s Great Survivor

Abstract

The contra proferentem rule has been under sustained attack in recent years, as judges doubt whether it has any role to play in modern commercial contract law. This article sheds light on the function of the rule by examining its historical development. The rule has been part of English contract law for over 600 years, playing very different roles at each stage of its development. Lawyers since the medieval period have criticised the rule, but have succeeded in continually repurposing it to fit with new conceptions of contract law and to address the most pressing concerns of their day. This article shows that the contra proferentem rule can provide a fascinating case study in the development of common law doctrine, and argues that the future need not be wholly bleak for one of our longest-lived canons of construction.

The scope of the contra proferentem rule in the interpretation of the general terms of the contract

“…Tako i naš ZOO sadrži pravilo o nejasnim odredbama u posebnim slučajevima: u slučaju kad je ugovor zaključen prema unapred odštampanom sadržaju, ili kad je ugovor bio na drugi način pripremljen i predložen od jedne ugovorne strane, nejasne odredbe tumačiće se u korist druge strane. 15 Posredi je formulacija starog pravila in dubio contra proferentem 16 odnosno in dubio contra stipulatorem, koje potiče iz rimskog prava, tačnije tradicionalno se pripisuje Celsus-u. 17 Iako danas čitamo i stanovišta autora koji ukazuju da je nejasno koliki je bio praktični značaj navedenog pravila u klasičnom rimskom pravu, ono je nesporno bilo predmet recepcije od glosatora pa nadalje, tj.…”