| 释义 |
責任解除書／免除／釋放 1. An agreement to renounce all rights against a person or estate. A deed of release is often executed by parties to litigation that has been settled, or by beneficiaries under a will for the benefit of the executors before distribution of the estate. The normal rules as to the construction of written contracts apply to a release. Thus, general words of release will be construed with reference to the surrounding circumstances and as being controlled by recitals and context so as to give effect to the object and purpose of the document: Re Perkins, Poyser v Beyfus [1898] 2 Ch D 182 (CA). A release will not be construed as applying to facts of which the grantor had no knowledge at the time when it was given: Re Perkins, Poyser v Beyfus, supra. 2. A document by which a person discharges another from a claim. 3. To free a person legally detained in custody. 4. A discharge or conveyance by a person with a right or interest in land but not in possession, by which he or she discharges this right for the benefit of the person in possession. See also Estate; Executor.
Contract - An act of one of the parties to a contract discharging a right of action against the other which arises out of the contract. A release may take the form either of a document under deed or of a parol agreement made for valuable consideration; the latter amounts to an accord and satisfaction or rescission. If the release is under deed no consideration is necessary: Preston v Christmas (1759) 2 Wils 86. See also Deed; Discharge; Parol contract; Valuable consideration.
Equity - At law a right of action arising solely on a deed may be released only by deed, and a right of action arising otherwise may be discharged either by deed of release or by accord and satisfaction; but in equity an agreement to release the right made for valuable consideration is in all cases effective as a release, and this rule now applies both to legal and equitable rights: Berry v Berry [1929] 2 KB 316. A release may, however, be made without consideration and merely by conduct (Re Hall, Holland v A-G [1942] Ch. 140); in such a case it will become fully effective by being acted upon (Strong v Bird (1874) LR 18 Eq 315). A release procured by fraud (Jones v Thomas (1862) 11 WR 50), or mistake (Teede and Bishop v Johnson (1856) 11 Exch 840) cannot be relied upon. See also Accord and satisfaction; Right of action; Valuable consideration.
Guarantee and indemnity - If the creditor, without the guarantor’s consent, unconditionally releases the principal debtor, the guarantee is discharged: Commercial Bank of Tasmania v Jones [1893] AC 313 (PC). The reasons have been variously stated: the release extinguishes the principal obligation (Commercial Bank of Tasmania v Jones, supra); the release interferes with the guarantor’s right to pay the debt and sue the principal debtor in the creditor’s name (Moschi v Lep Air Services Ltd [1973] AC 331, [1972] 2 All ER 393 (HL)); it would be a fraud on the principal debtor if after release the creditor were to proceed against the guarantor who could then sue the principal debtor (Mahant Singh v U Ba Yi [1939] AC 601 (PC)). See also Creditor; Guarantee; Principal debtor.
Tort - A release of a right of action made by deed is binding even though there is no consideration (Phillips v Clagett (1843) 11 M & W 84); but to constitute accord and satisfaction, the existence of which is a question of fact (Neuchatel Asphalte Co Ltd v Barnett [1957] 1 All ER 362, 1 WLR 356 (CA)), there must be satisfaction as well as the agreement or accord, although the accord and satisfaction, duly constituted, are a discharge of the cause of action and may ordinarily be agreed orally. The common law rule is that the release of one joint tortfeasor would release them all: Civil Liability (Contribution) Ordinance (Cap 377) s 7; Chien Ngan Sang v Lai Kam Hing [2002] 2 HKC 448. See also Accord and satisfaction; Consideration; Discharge; Right of action.
1. 同意放棄針對某人或遺產的權利的協議。責任解除契據一般由已和解的訴訟各方簽立，或由遺囑受益人在分配前為了遺囑執行人的利益而簽立。解釋書面合約的通常規則適用於責任解除書。因此，為解釋概括的免除字句，法庭會參考受敘文及文意所控制的周圍情況，從而執行文件的目標及目的：Re Perkins, Poyser v Beyfus [1898] 2 Ch 182 (芵國上訴法院)。責任解除書不會被解釋為適用於授予人在授予解除時不知曉的事實上：Re Perkins, Poyser v Beyfus, 見上文。 2. 某人作出免除另一人被申索所藉的文件。 3. 釋放被合法羈留扣押的某人。 4. 就土地享有權利或權益但沒有管有的人所作的免除或轉易，而該權利免除或轉易是為有管有的人的利益而作者。另見 Estate; Executor。
合約 - 合約一方免除針對合約另一方因合約而產生的訴訟權利的作為。免除可以契據形式的文件或為有值代價的口頭方式協議作出；後者相當於和解及清償或撤銷，會在別的地方考慮。以契據形式所作的責任解除書不須代價：Preston v Christmas (1759) 2 Wils 86。另見 Deed; Discharge; Parol contract; Valuable consideration。
衡平法 - 在法律上，產生自契據的訴訟權僅可藉契據解除，而以別的形式產生的訴訟權可藉責任解除契據或協議及清償解除；但在衡平法上，在任何情況下責任解除均可藉有值代價的協議解除：Berry v Berry [1929] 2 KB 316。責任解除可僅通過行為而無需有值代價作出 (Re Hall, Holland v A-G [1941] 2 All ER 358)；在此等情況下，只要根據協議行事，協議即完全生效 (Strong v Bird (1874) LR 18 Eq 315)。藉欺詐取得的責任免除 (Jones v Thomas (1862) 11 WR 50)，或藉錯誤 (Teede and Bishop v Johnson (1856) 11 Exch 840) 不可作為依據。另見 Accord and satisfaction; Right of action; Valuable consideration。
擔保與賠償 - 債權人在沒有擔保人的同意下，無條件下免除主債務人的責任，即解除擔保：Commercial Bank of Tasmania v Jones [1893] AC 313 (樞密院)。不同的理據均曾有陳述：解除終絕主要義務 (Commercial Bank of Tasmania v Jones, 見上文) ；解除干預擔保人支付債項並以債權人名義控告主債務人的權利 (Moschi v Lep Air Services Ltd [1973] AC 331, [1972] 2 All ER 393 (上議院)) ；債權人在解除後追討擔保人，會構成對主債務人的欺詐，這時擔保人可控告主債務人 (Mahant Singh v U Ba Yi [1939] AC 601 (樞密院))。另見 Creditor; Guarantee; Principal debtor。
侵權 - 儘管沒有代價，但以契據作出的免除訴訟權利書具有約束力 (Phillips v Clagett (1843) 11 M & W 84) ；但要構成和解及清償，免除書是否存在乃一事實問題 (Neuchatel Asphalte Co Ltd v Barnett [1957] 1 All ER 362, 1 WLR 356 (芵國上訴法院))，必須有清償及協議，但構成妥當的和解及清償可免除訴訟因由，通常是可以口頭協議作出。根據普通法規則，免除一個共同侵權人，即免除所有的侵權人：《民事責任（分擔）條例》（第377章）第7條；Chein Ngan Sang v Lai Kam Hing [2002] 2 HKC 448。另見 Accord and satisfaction; Consideration; Discharge; Right of action。n. |