{"id":9742,"date":"2021-11-15T10:59:44","date_gmt":"2021-11-15T09:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/9742\/"},"modified":"2022-03-07T12:18:02","modified_gmt":"2022-03-07T11:18:02","slug":"rescindcontract","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/rescindcontract\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal English Shot &#8211; Terminate a contract, resolve it, cancel it, revoke it, avoid it, or rescind it ?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>You know you want out of the contract, but how do you say it in legal English? Are you going to terminate it, resolve it, cancel it, revoke it, avoid it, or rescind it? Child\u2019s play, with the help of our latest Legal English Shot!<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-8711 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/hieronymus-1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1650\" height=\"635\" srcset=\"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/hieronymus-1.png 1650w, https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/hieronymus-1-300x115.png 300w, https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/hieronymus-1-1024x394.png 1024w, https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/hieronymus-1-768x296.png 768w, https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/hieronymus-1-1536x591.png 1536w, https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/hieronymus-1-850x327.png 850w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1650px) 100vw, 1650px\" \/><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"601\">And since good news rarely travels alone&#8230;<\/p>\n<p>To brighten your autumn evenings, our &#8220;Legal English Shots&#8221; are now accompanied by micro-videos on the pronunciation of legal English terms. At the end of this note you will find the first episode in our new series on English words that Swiss lawyers most often tend to mispronounce. <strong>#1: <em>Rescind<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>As in French and German, there are numerous legal English terms for the acts by which it is possible to <strong>discharge a contract<\/strong> (German: <em>einen Vertrag beenden<\/em>; French: <em>mettre fin \u00e0 un contrat<\/em>) \u2013 the meaning of which can vary, depending on the documents in question and the context.<\/p>\n<p>The means available for the ordinary or consensual discharge of a contract include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><em>discharge by performance<\/em><\/strong> (German: <em>Beendigung\/Erl\u00f6schen durch Erf\u00fcllung<\/em>; French: <em>ex\u00e9cution ordinaire du contract<\/em>);<\/li>\n<li><strong>expiry<\/strong> or <strong>expiration<\/strong> of a fixed term agreement (German: <em>Ablauf eines befristeten Vertrags<\/em>; French: <em>expiration\u00a0<\/em>or <em>\u00e9ch\u00e9ance d\u2019un contrat de dur\u00e9e d\u00e9termin\u00e9e<\/em>) at the date specified therein (<strong>term<\/strong>, <strong>expiry date<\/strong>; German: <em>Ablauf, Ende der Vertragsdauer, F\u00e4lligkeit<\/em>; French: <em>\u00e9ch\u00e9ance, date d\u2019expiration<\/em>);<\/li>\n<li><strong>contract variation or mutually agreed abandonment<\/strong> (German: <em>einvernehmliche Vertrags\u00e4nderung<\/em> or <em>Vertragsaufhebung<\/em>; French: <em>modification<\/em> or <em>rupture consensuelle d\u2019un contrat<\/em>);<\/li>\n<li><strong>debt release<\/strong> (German: <em>Schuldenerlass <\/em>or <em>Gl\u00e4ubigerverzicht<\/em>; French: <em>remise de dette<\/em>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The terminology for the acts of unilaterally discharging a contract is less fixed and a bit more complex. Below is a table summarising the most commonly used terms and their French and German equivalents:<\/p>\n<table width=\"623\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"208\">English term:<\/p>\n<p>Verb (and noun)<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">German\/French equivalents<\/td>\n<td width=\"217\">Comments<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"208\"><strong>to<\/strong> <strong>terminate<\/strong> a contract<\/p>\n<p>(termination)<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">den Vertrag <strong>k\u00fcndigen<\/strong>, aufl\u00f6sen<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>r\u00e9silier<\/em><\/strong><em>, d\u00e9noncer le contrat<\/em><\/td>\n<td rowspan=\"3\" width=\"217\">The U.S. Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) distinguishes between \u201ccancellation\u201d of a contract (in the absence of a breach) and \u201ctermination\u201d (in the presence of a breach). This distinction is not drawn in the United Kingdom, where the term \u201ccancellation\u201d has no specific legal meaning and may thus also be used in the sense of \u201crescission\u201d (<em>ab initio<\/em>).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"208\">a.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 UK: <strong>to terminate<\/strong> (termination) <strong>without cause<\/strong>\/for convenience\/on notice<\/p>\n<p>US: <strong>to cancel<\/strong> (cancellation)<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">die <strong>ordentliche<\/strong><strong> K\u00fcndigung<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>la <\/em><strong><em>r\u00e9siliation <\/em><\/strong><strong><em>ordinaire<\/em><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"208\">b.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <strong>to terminate<\/strong> (termination) <strong>for cause<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">die <strong>fristlose K\u00fcndigung<\/strong>, die K\u00fcndigung aus wichtigem Grund<\/p>\n<p><em>la <\/em><strong><em>r\u00e9siliation<\/em><\/strong><em> \/ d\u00e9nonciation <strong>pour juste motif<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"208\"><strong>to rescind <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>(rescission)<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">aus dem Vertrag <strong>zur\u00fcckzutreten<\/strong>; der R\u00fccktritt; bei Sachgew\u00e4hr-leistung: die Wandelung<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>r\u00e9soudre<\/em><\/strong><em> ou se d\u00e9partir d\u2019un contrat; la r\u00e9solution<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"217\">The contract is undone <em>ab initio<\/em>, as if it had never existed (<em>der Vertrag f\u00e4llt dahin <\/em>ex tunc;<em> le contrat devient caduc <\/em>ex tunc).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"208\">to rescind<\/p>\n<p>(rescission)<\/p>\n<p>to avoid, to void (a voidable contract)<\/p>\n<p>(avoidance, voidance)<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\"><strong>anfechten<\/strong>, die Anfechtung (eines anfechtbaren Vertrages)<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>invalider<\/em><\/strong><em>, annuler (un contrat annulable)<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"217\">In the Anglo-Saxon legal world, the term \u201crescind\u201d is used both for the termination of a contract in the presence of a breach (<em>R\u00fccktritt<\/em>; <em>r\u00e9solution<\/em>) and for the avoidance of a voidable contract (<em>Anfechtung eines anfechtbaren Vertrags; invalidation d\u2019un contrat annulable<\/em>), rendering the contract void <em>ab initio<\/em>. In the English text of the UNIDROIT Principles and Translex-Principles, the term \u201cavoidance\u201d is used consistently throughout.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"208\">to withdraw from the contract<\/p>\n<p>(withdrawal; right of withdrawal) (UK, EU)<\/p>\n<p>to revoke<\/p>\n<p>(revocation, right of revocation)<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\"><strong>widerrufen<\/strong>; der Widerruf; das Widerrufsrecht<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>r\u00e9voquer<\/em><\/strong><em>; la r\u00e9vocation, la\u00a0 r\u00e9tractation; le droit de r\u00e9vocation<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"217\">To withdraw from a contract (by exercising a right of withdrawal) in particular in the context of consumer rights. The term \u201cright of revocation\u201d is found less often than \u201cright of withdrawal\u201d, but is nevertheless still in use (e.g., in the US Telephone Consumer Protection Act).<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"208\"><strong>to repudiate<\/strong> (anticipatorily)<\/p>\n<p>(anticipatory repudiation; anticipatory breach)<\/td>\n<td width=\"198\">der<strong> antizipierte Vertragsbruch<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>l&#8217;inex\u00e9cution \/ la <strong>violation anticip\u00e9e<\/strong> du contrat<\/em><\/td>\n<td width=\"217\">To give prior notice, express or implicit, of intent not to perform a contract before performance has fallen due<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>As the precise meaning of these terms may vary, depending on the context and jurisdiction in which they are used, we recommend that you specify in the <a href=\"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/translation-processes\/translation\/\">translations<\/a> of your <a href=\"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/legal-expertise\/contract-law\/vertrag\/\">contracts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/legal-expertise\/litigation-and-arbitration\/pleadings\/\">legal writings<\/a> or letters the exact legal effect you intend to attach to each chosen term:<\/p>\n<p>If the effect is intended to be <strong>retroactive<\/strong>, it is referred to in Switzerland as an <strong><em>ex tunc<\/em><\/strong> effect; in the United Kingdom the term <strong><em>ab initio<\/em><\/strong> is used (e.g. to rescind a contract <em>ab initio<\/em>; the contract is rendered void <em>ab initio<\/em>). In such case, the parties must find themselves in the same position in which they would have been had the contract not been concluded. The contract is said to have been \u201cundone\u201d, \u201cunravelled\u201d or \u201cunwound\u201d, bringing the parties back to the position in which they were before they entered into the contract, i.e. restoring them to their pre-contractual positions &#8211; to the <em>status quo ante<\/em> (&#8220;<em>restitutio in integrum<\/em>&#8220;).<\/p>\n<p>If the effects are to be felt only in the future (<em>ex nunc<\/em>), the expression used in the United Kingdom is \u201c<em>de futuro<\/em>\u201d. In such case, the contractual relations between the parties are terminated from that time forward, that is, the obligations under the contract are said to have been discharged \u201cprospectively\u201d; or, in other words, the parties are \u201cdischarged from the further performance of the contract\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, it will normally be useful to specify the type of damages to which the parties will be entitled:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>reliance damages <\/strong>(German: <em>negatives Vertragsinteresse<\/em>; French: <em>dommages-int\u00e9r\u00eats n\u00e9gatifs<\/em>), restoring the non-breaching party to the same position in which it would have found itself had the contract not existed;<\/li>\n<li><strong>expectation damages <\/strong>(German: <em>positives Vertragsinteresse, Erf\u00fcllungsinteresse<\/em>; French: <em>dommages-int\u00e9r\u00eats positifs<\/em>), including all costs incurred by the non-breaching party (which it would not have incurred but for the breach) (<em>damnum emergens<\/em>), and the profits it has foregone (which it would have earned but for the breach) (<em>lucrum cessans)<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And now, having mastered all the intricacies of the term \u201crescind\u201d, learn how to (not) pronounce it, too.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 650px;\" class=\"wp-video\"><!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('video');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<video class=\"wp-video-shortcode\" id=\"video-9742-1\" width=\"650\" height=\"487\" preload=\"metadata\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"video\/mp4\" src=\"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Rescind-Edit-4.mp4?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Rescind-Edit-4.mp4\">https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/Rescind-Edit-4.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You know you want out of the contract, but how do you say it in legal English? Are you going to terminate it, resolve it, cancel it, revoke it, avoid it, or rescind it? Child\u2019s play, with the help of our latest Legal English Shot! And since good news rarely travels alone&#8230; To brighten your [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[]},"categories":[190],"tags":[174],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9742"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9742"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9750,"href":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9742\/revisions\/9750"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hieronymus.ch\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}