Terms and Conditions - Yakkan

Standardized contract clauses used when concluding contracts with the same content with multiple customers or business partners, such as in insurance, transportation, and banking transactions, are called ordinary contract terms. Although the term "terms and conditions" usually refers to ordinary contract terms, it can also refer to each clause of the ordinary contract terms or simply mean the clauses of the contract (in the following explanation, terms and conditions are used to mean ordinary contract terms). Contracts concluded based on the terms and conditions are called auxiliary contracts.

Contracts based on terms and conditions are convenient for quickly and easily processing a large number of contracts with the same content, but on the other hand, the terms and conditions are created unilaterally by one of the parties to the contract, such as a company, and there is no room for the other party to the contract, such as a customer, to individually negotiate the contract contents stipulated in the terms and conditions. When attempting to conclude a contract, only contracts based on terms and conditions are possible, and it is rare for the clauses of the terms and conditions to be read and understood before entering into a contract. This can result in unexpected disadvantages for the other party to the contract. This is especially true for disclaimer clauses, liability limitation clauses, termination clauses, and penalty clauses. Therefore, regulation of the contents of the terms and conditions is necessary. Contracts or clauses in terms and conditions that are too unreasonable in content can be declared invalid as violating public order and morals or the principle of good faith, but court regulation is retroactive. Therefore, there are many cases of control over terms and conditions, such as supervision by administrative agencies, regulation of contract contents by law, and creation of standard terms and conditions.

Electricity and gas supply regulations, insurance clauses, transportation clauses, etc. are matters that must be approved by administrative authorities under each industry or business law. There are many legal restrictions on the content of contracts, such as the cooling-off period under the Installment Sales Act, the Specified Commercial Transactions Act, and the Real Estate Transaction Business Act, and the obligation to submit a written document clarifying the content of the contract. Standard terms and conditions are not terms and conditions themselves, but models of terms and conditions prepared by each industry or administrative agency and shown to each business operator. They function as de facto supervision as administrative guidance, and also act as self-regulation for the industry. Today, when contracts based on a variety of terms and conditions are being made in a very wide range of areas of daily life, such as travel, accommodation, and home delivery, the role of standard terms and conditions in regulating the content of the terms and conditions is large. Just as a contract based on terms and conditions is called a supplementary contract, for example, if you buy a ticket and ride a train, it is naturally a contract based on the transportation terms and conditions. Since there are aspects in which it cannot be said that there is an agreement to follow the terms and conditions, contracts, customs, local laws, etc. are explained as to how to explain the legal binding force of the terms and conditions.

[Takayoshi Ito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

保険、運送、銀行取引など多数の顧客ないし取引先と同一内容の契約を締結するに際し用いられる定型化された契約条項を普通契約約款という。通常、約款というときは普通契約約款をさすが、用語としては普通契約約款の各条項をさしたり、単に契約の条項の意味に用いたりすることもある（以下の説明では約款は普通契約約款の意味に用いる）。約款に基づいて締結される契約を付合（付従）契約という。

　約款による契約は同内容の契約を大量に迅速かつ簡易に処理するのには便利であるが、他面、約款は契約の一方当事者たる企業などにより一方的に作成され、契約の相手方たる客にとっては、約款に定められた契約内容について個別的に交渉する余地はない。契約を締結しようとするときは約款による契約だけが可能であり、約款の条項を読んで理解したうえで契約することも少ない。このために契約の相手方にとっては予期しないような不利益を受けることがある。ことに免責条項や責任制限約款、解約条項や違約金条項などがそうである。そこで約款の内容に対する規制が必要となる。内容的にあまりに不合理な契約や約款の条項は公序良俗違反、信義則違反などとして無効としうるが、裁判所による規制は事後的なものである。そこで約款に対する行政庁の監督、法による契約内容の規制、標準約款の作成などによる約款に対するコントロールも多く行われている。

　電気・ガスの供給規程、保険約款、運送約款などについては各業法ないし事業法により行政庁の認可事項としている。法による契約内容の規制も多く、割賦販売法、特定商取引法、宅地建物取引業法によるクーリング・オフ、契約内容を明らかにする書面の交付義務などはその一例である。標準約款はそれ自体約款ではなく、各業界あるいは行政庁が作成し、各事業者に示す約款のモデルである。行政指導として事実上の監督の機能を果たし、また業界の自主規制として働く。旅行、宿泊、宅配便等、生活面できわめて広範な領域で多様な約款による契約が行われるようになってきた今日、標準約款が約款の内容規制に果たす役割は大きい。約款による契約が付合契約といわれるように、たとえば乗車券を購入して電車に乗れば当然に運送約款による契約となる。約款によるとの合意があるといえない面があるので、約款の法的拘束力をどのように説明するかについて契約、慣習、自治法規などが説かれている。

［伊藤高義］

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