Contracts (Applicable Law) Act 1990

1Meaning of “the Conventions”

In this Act—

(a)“the Rome Convention” means the Convention on the law applicable to contractual obligations opened for signature in Rome on 19th June 1980 and signed by the United Kingdom on 7th December 1981;

(b)“the Luxembourg Convention” means the Convention on the accession of the Hellenic Republic to the Rome Convention signed by the United Kingdom in Luxembourg on 10th April 1984; and

(c)“the Brussels Protocol” means the first Protocol on the interpretation of the Rome Convention by the European Court signed by the United Kingdom in Brussels on 19th December 1988;

and the Rome Convention, the Luxembourg Convention and the Brussels Protocol are together referred to as “the Conventions”.

2Conventions to have force of law

(1)Subject to subsections (2) and (3) below, the Conventions shall have the force of law in the United Kingdom.

(2)Articles 7(1) and 10(1)(e) of the Rome Convention shall not have the force of law in the United Kingdom.

(3)Notwithstanding Article 19(2) of the Rome Convention, the Conventions shall apply in the case of conflicts between the laws of different parts of the United Kingdom.

(4)For ease of reference there are set out in Schedules 1, 2 and 3 to this Act respectively the English texts of—

(a)the Rome Convention;

(b)the Luxembourg Convention; and

(c)the Brussels Protocol.

3Interpretation of Conventions

(1)Any question as to the meaning or effect of any provision of the Conventions shall, if not referred to the European Court in accordance with the Brussels Protocol, be determined in accordance with the principles laid down by, and any relevant decision of, the European Court.

(2)Judicial notice shall be taken of any decision of, or expression of opinion by, the European Court on any such question.

(3)Without prejudice to any practice of the courts as to the matters which may be considered apart from this subsection—

(a)the report on the Rome Convention by Professor Mario Giuliano and Professor Paul Lagarde which is reproduced in the Official Journal of the [O.J.1980 No.C282/1.] Communities of 31st October 1980 may be considered in ascertaining the meaning or effect of any provision of that Convention; and

(b)any report on the Brussels Protocol which is reproduced in the Official Journal of the Communities may be considered in ascertaining the meaning or effect of any provision of that Protocol.

4Revision of Conventions etc

(1)If at any time it appears to Her Majesty in Council that Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom—

(a)have agreed to a revision of any of the Conventions (including, in particular, any revision connected with the accession to the Rome Convention of any state); or

(b)have given notification in accordance with Article 22(3) of the Rome Convention that either or both of the provisions mentioned in section 2(2) above shall have the force of law in the United Kingdom,

Her Majesty may by Order in Council make such consequential modifications of this Act or any other statutory provision, whenever passed or made, as Her Majesty considers appropriate.

(2)An Order in Council under subsection (1) above shall not be made unless a draft of the Order has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House.

(3)In subsection (1) above—

• “modifications” includes additions, omissions and alterations;

• “revision” means an omission from, addition to or alteration of any of the Conventions and includes replacement of any of the Conventions to any extent by another convention, protocol or other description of international agreement; and

• “statutory provision” means any provision contained in an Act, or in any Northern Ireland legislation, or in—

  (a)

  subordinate legislation (as defined in section 21(1) of the [1978 c. 30.] Interpretation Act 1978); or

  (b)

  any instrument of a legislative character made under any Northern Ireland legislation.

5Consequential amendments

The enactments specified in Schedule 4 to this Act shall have effect subject to the amendments specified in that Schedule.

6Application to Crown

This Act binds the Crown.

7Commencement

This Act shall come into force on such day as the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Advocate may by order made by statutory instrument appoint; and different days may be appointed for different provisions or different purposes.

8Extent

(1)This Act extends to Northern Ireland.

(2)Her Majesty may by Order in Council direct that all or any of the provisions of this Act shall extend to any of the following territories, namely—

(a)the Isle of Man;

(b)any of the Channel Islands;

(c)Gibraltar;

(d)the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (that is to say, the areas mentioned in section 2(1) of the [1960 c. 52.] Cyprus Act 1960).

(3)An Order in Council under subsection (2) above may modify this Act in its application to any of the territories mentioned in that subsection and may contain such supplementary provisions as Her Majesty considers appropriate; and in this subsection “modify” shall be construed in accordance with section 4 above.

9Short title

This Act may be cited as the Contracts (Applicable Law) Act 1990.