香港海事仲裁协会:BIMCO法律和仲裁条款2020(香港)简介

BIMCO法律和仲裁条款2020（香港）简介

BIMCO发布的《BIMCO法律和仲裁条款2020》(BIMCO Law and Arbitration Clause 2020，链接：BIMCO adds Hong Kong to new shortened arbitration clause)，首次将香港与伦敦、纽约和新加坡并列于其措辞统一的标准法律和仲裁条款内，条款内容经四个仲裁地点共同商议并取得共识。这是对香港作为高效、快捷、极具成本效益的海事争议仲裁地的认可。

新的条款措词简化，透过BIMCO在线编辑的下拉选单自动将每个仲裁地点的具体条款合并在BIMCO的合约内。该条款的独立格式亦可从香港海事仲裁协会HKMAG网站www.hkmag.org.hk下载。

要将条款纳入合同内，请在完成在线合同时选择 “Hong Kong” (香港) 选项，然后选择“Hong Kong Law” (香港法律) 或 “English Law” (英国法律)，或在合同中指定合并“BIMCO Law and Arbitration Clause 2020, Hong Kong”。

香港《BIMCO法律和仲裁条款2020》的特点如下:

1.    条款a)部分容许用家选择合约的实体法为香港法律或英国法律，如没有作出选择，则香港法律适用。香港法律和英国法律同为普通法，合同法基本相同。在香港仲裁实务上主要的分别在于，如合约选择适用香港法律，即透过条款c)部分的HKMAG仲裁规则[1]，容许当事方就仲裁裁决书中的法律问题向香港法院提出上诉，做法与英国无异。如选择适用英国法律，由于香港法律视外地法律问题为事实而非法律问题[2]，将不能透过香港仲裁条例作出上诉。

2.    条款a)部分明示以香港为仲裁地点的仲裁，应根据香港仲裁条例进行[3]，加上条款c)部分合并HKMAG仲裁规则的第6段说明仲裁条款的适用法为香港法律，这可有效避免仲裁条款有效性的争议[4]。

3.    条款b)部分明示仲裁员人数为三名，这避免因仲裁条款没有说明人数而需要根据香港仲裁条例作出申请所带来的延误及费用。就有关委任仲裁员的程序，条款c)部分明示适用的HKMAG仲裁规则的第9段(b) (i)，提供了一种任命机制，以确保仲裁庭能迅速成立。根据默认程序，如果一方在收到另一方的通知后14个历日内未能任命其仲裁员，则可以委任已被任命的仲裁员为独任仲裁员[5]。

4.    条款c)部分明示适用HKMAG仲裁规则。HKMAG仲裁规则的内容大致与LMAA仲裁规则一样。按照HKMAG仲裁规则进行的仲裁，当事方可以严重不正常或法律问题为由对仲裁裁决书进行上诉[6]，这与英国仲裁法相同。

5.    条款d)部分明示适用HKMAG小额索赔程序规则，适用争议金额为USD 100,000以内的索赔或反索赔[7]。HKMAG小额索赔程序规则与LMAA小额索赔程序规则相同。

6.    条款f)部分为通知条款，要求合约当事方提供电邮地址作为该仲裁条款下所进行的仲裁通讯联络之用。如果通过电邮发送到指定的电邮地址，则从发送电邮的日期和时间起应视为有效送达。当事方亦可就仲裁程序的任何通知和通讯以其他有效方式送达。这条款的目的主要是避免有关仲裁通知的有效性所带来的争议，这通常与启动仲裁及时效条款有关[8]。

香港海事仲裁协会HKMAG

2020年10月7日

[1]https://www.hkmag.org.hk/s/HKMAG-Terms-2017-final-30-Sept-19-5tr6.pdf

[2]Reliance Industries Ltd. v Enron Oiland Gas India Ltd. And Oil ＆ National Gas Corporation (2002) 1 Lloyd's Rep 645

[3]现为香港《仲裁条例》(第609章)

[4]如新加坡上诉庭的判决: BNA v BNV and another (2019) SGCA 84及其后的上海法院判决: 沪01民特83号民事裁定书。

[5]这任命机制被视为业界标准: Transgrain Shipping BV v Deiulemar Shipping SpA (in liquidation) and Eleni Shipping Ltd (2014) EWHC 4202 (Comm)。

[6] HKMAG仲裁规则第23段选择适用香港《仲裁条例》(第609章)的附表2第4、5、6和7条有关对仲裁裁决书上诉的规定。

[7]https://www.hkmag.org.hk/s/HKMAG-SMALL-CLAIMS-PROCEDURE-2017-final.pdf

[8]相关案例可参阅: Bernuth Lines Limited v High Seas Shipping Limited (2005) EWHC 3020 (Comm); The Lake Michigan (2009) EWHC 3325(Comm); Sino Channel Asia Ltd v Dana Shipping and Trading PTE Singapore and Another (2016) EWHC 1118 (Comm) , (2017) EWCA Civ 1703); Glencore Agriculture B.V. v Conqueror Holdings Limited (2017) EWHC 2893 (Comm)

BIMCO LAW AND ARBITRATIONCLAUSE 2020

HONG KONG/ENGLISH LAW| HONG KONG ARBITRATION

(a)    This contract shall begoverned by and construed in accordance with Hong Kong/English* law and any dispute arising out of or in connection with this contract shall be referred exclusively to arbitration in Hong Kong in accordance with the Arbitration Ordinance (Cap.609) or any statutory modification or re-enactment thereof save to the extent necessary to give effect to the provisions of this clause. The seat of arbitration shall be Hong Kong even where any hearing takes place in another jurisdiction.

*Delete whichever does not apply. If neither or both are deleted, Hong Kong law shall apply.

(b)    The reference shall be to three (3) arbitrators unless the parties agree otherwise.

(c)    The arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the Hong Kong Maritime Arbitration Group Terms. 

(d)    In cases where neither the claim nor any counterclaim exceeds the sum of USD 100,000 (or such other sum as the parties may agree) the arbitration shall be conducted in accordance with the Hong Kong Maritime Arbitration Group Small Claims Procedure.

(e)    The terms and procedures referred to in subclauses (c) and (d) shall be those current at the time when the arbitration proceedings are commenced.

(f)      Any and all notices and communications in relation to any arbitration proceedings under this clause, including commencement notices and appointment of arbitrators, shall be treated as effectively served from the date and time the e-mail was sent if sent by e-mail to the e-mail addresses below:

Name of party to this contract:

E-mail address(es) for receipt of notices and communications on behalf of the above party: [insert]

Name of other party to this contract:

E-mail address(es) for receipt of notices and communications on behalf of the above party: [insert]

Either party shall be entitled to change and/or add to the e-mail addresses above by sending notice of change to the other party at the above address (or, if previously amended by notice, the relevant amended addresses).

Nothing in this clause shall prevent any notice and communication in relation to any arbitration proceedings in connection with this contract being served by other effective means.

来源：海商法研究中心