案件报告(法律英语)thecasereport1、factsofcase:theclaimantshadenteredintoashipbuildingcontractwithakoreanshipbuilder,whowasacustomerofthedefendantbank.theclaimantshadtopaytheshipbuilderinadvancebyinstalments.underthetermsofthecontractstheshipbuilderwasrequiredtorepaytheseinstalmentsincertaincircumstances,includingtheinsolvencyoftheshipbuilderpriortodeliveryoftheships.toguaranteerepaymentofthepre-deliveryinstalmentstheshipbuilderwasrequiredtoprovidetheclaimantswithbondsissuedbyareputablebank.theshipbuilderarrangedforthedefendantbanktoissuethebonds.beforefinishingtheshipsitranintofinancialdifficultiesandenteredaninsolvencyprocedureunderkoreanlaw.theclaimantsrequestedrefundsofthepaymentsmadebythem,astheywerecontractuallyentitledto.whenpaymentwasnotforthcomingtheycalledonthebankpursuanttothebonds.thebankrefusedtopay,arguingthatthewordingofthebondsdidnotcovertheshipbuilder"sinsolvency.theclaimantsdisagreedandsued.then,thebank"sargumentsucceedinthecourtofappeal,afterthattheclaimantsappealedsuccessfullytothesupremecourt.“inthiscase,thefactsarefrompara.1topara.6.”2、legalissues:theresolutionoftheissuebetweenthepartiesdependsuponthetrueconstructionofpara.3.theissuebetweentheclaimantsandshipbuilderinthisappealistheroletobeplayedbyconsiderationsofbusinesscommonsenseindeterminingwhatthepartiesmeant.“inthiscase,thelegalissuesarefrompara.15.”3、argumentsofbothpaties:thedisputecentredonthemeaningofthewords“allsuchsum第1页共5页s”inparagraph[3]ofthebonds.thebankarguedthatthephrasereferredbacktothepre-deliveryinstalmentslistedinparagraph[2],whichcruciallyomittedinsolvencyoftheshipbuilder.whereastheclaimantssaidthatitreferredtothe“pre-deliveryinstalments”inthefirstlineofparagraph[3].theysaidthatthepurposeofthebondswastoguaranteetherefundofthepre-deliveryinstalmentsinallcircumstances,includingtheinsolvencyoftheshipbuilder.neitheroftheseinterpretationwasfreefromdifficulty.thebank"sinterpretationwas,arguably,commerciallyimplausible,whereasontheclaimants"interpretationthewholeofparagraph[2]couldbesaidtoberedundant.“inthiscase,theargumentsofbothpartiesarefrompara.9.”4、thedecisionsandcommentsmadebythejudge:simonj:simonjpreferredtheclaimants"sinterpretation.heheldthatpara.[3]ofthebondsdeterminedthesubstanceoftheparties"rightsandthatthephrase“allsuchsums”relatedtothewiderreferencetopre-deliveryinstalmentsearlierinthatparagraph,ratherthantoparagraph2,whichhetreatedasamerepreamble.heplacedgreatweightonthefactthatthebank"sinterpretationwouldeffectivelydeprivetheclaimantsofthebenefitofthebondsintheverycircumstancesinwhichtheyweremostlikelytorequireit,i.e.theinsolvencyoftheshipbuilder.thisheregardasuncommercial.(para.4)pattenlj(withwhomthorpeljagreed):byamajoritythecourtofappealreversedsimonj"sdecision.pattenlj(withwhomthorpeljagreed)couldnotacceptthatpa第2页共5页ra.2servednousefulpurpose.heconsideredthatitsobviouspurposewastogivetheaddresseeofthebondaclearstatementofthebuilder"sobligationsunderthecontracttobecoveredbytheguarantee,whichwasconsistentwiththeshipbuilder"sobligationsunderthecontractstoprovidethebonds.inhisviewthebank"sinterpretationwasclearlytobepreferred.pattenljtookamuchmorerestrictiveviewofthecircumstancesinwhichacourtcouldconfidentlydeclarethatoneorotherpossiblemeaningofwordsusedinacontractwasuncommercial.heconcluedthatitwasimpermissibleforthe...