Excessive formalism in the Czech Bill of Exchange Case Law

KOTÁSEK, Josef. Excessive formalism in the Czech Bill of Exchange Case Law. Jog Alam Politika. Györ: A Széchenyi István Agyetem, 2018, vol. 10, No 1, p. 59-72. ISSN 2060-4580.

Basic information

• Original name: Excessive formalism in the Czech Bill of Exchange Case Law
• Name in Czech: Přepjatý formalismus v českém směnečném právu
• Authors: KOTÁSEK, Josef (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution).
• Edition: Jog Alam Politika, Györ, A Széchenyi István Agyetem, 2018, 2060-4580.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Article in a journal
• Field of Study: 50501 Law
• Country of publisher: Hungary
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• RIV identification code: RIV/00216224:14220/18:00102222
• Organization unit: Faculty of Law
• Keywords (in Czech): směnka; směnečné právo; směnečná přísnost
• Keywords in English: bill of exchange; promissory note; bill of exchange law; rigor cambialis
• Tags: rivok

Abstract

The analysis show that an interpretation based on the idea of "formal rigor", according to which the interpretation of the data in the bill is to be (or at least could be) stricter and more rigid than it is in conventional legal acts, can easily result in absurd and funny conclusions. If we really should take formal requirements for bills "strictly" it would need a more convincing argumentation than just repeating the mantra of rigor cambialis or applying it automatically. When interpreting the bill statements one should take into account their overall context and their typical meaning. An interpretation is to be done in principle objectively from the view of the potential acquirer of the bill. It should not, for its own sake, "punish" small formal errors or deficiencies which can be, with a little good will, resolved by preferring the bill validity (if it is not inconsistent with its nature of course). The Czech courts only start to deviate gradually from the formalist "dances" of the past two decades. One can only hope that most of the decisions presented above will become a remembrance to the fact that "rigor cambialis" concerning formal requirements of bills was not an appropriate metaphor for the characteristics of the bills but a confusing and unclear term that could justify even the most absurd conclusions.

Abstract (in Czech)

Příspěvek se zabývá interpretací směnečných prohlášení a konceptem "směnečné přísnosti", podle které je nutno prohlášení na směnkách vykládat "přísněji". Autor poukazuje na to, že ani formální směnečná přísnost nemá být samoúčelná - na řadě soudních rozhodnutí ukazuje limity tohoto paušálního přístupu. České soudy se pomalu odvrací od "přísnosti", se kterou posuzovaly text směnek od počátku 90. let. Na závěr autor pléduje pro to, aby tzv. směnečná přísnost nebyla chápána jako univerzální argument, pro který lze sáhnout podle potřeby a který odůvodní sebeabsurdnější argument.