Enigmatic Aspects of “Time Is of the Essence” in Construction Law of Thailand: A Comparative Study of Common Law in England and Australia
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Abstract
This article studies intricacies of the statement “time is of the essence” in a legal context, in relation to construction delays in Thailand, comparatively analysed in terms of law in England and Australia. Notably, the Supreme Court of Thailand has applied “time is of the essence” in a broader manner than its counterparts in England and Australia, surpassing boundaries set by Section 596 of the Thailand Civil and Commercial Code (CCC), the provision explicitly recognising the concept. These findings suggest that while this Supreme Court approach may aspire to fairly resolve construction disputes, its application beyond the statutory framework leads to legal uncertainties, potentially significantly impacting construction contract administration.
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Sources in Thai
ไกรวิณี สุนทรมน. “สิทธิของผู้ว่าจ้างในการบอกเลิกสัญญาจ้างทำของ.” (วิทยานิพนธ์นิติศาสตรมหาบัณฑิต, มหาวิทยาลัยธรรมศาสตร์ 2551) [Krivinee Soontornmon. “The Rights of an Employer to Rescind the Contract for Work.” (LLM Thesis, Thammasat University 2008)].
นนทวัชร์ นวตระกูลพิสุทธิ์. หลักกฎหมายเอกเทศสัญญาลักษณะจ้างแรงงาน—จ้างทำของ—รับขน. (พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 2 ธรรมศาสตร์ 2562) [Nontawat Nawatrakulpisut. Principles of Specific Contracts on Hire of Service —Hire of Work—Transportation Service (2nd edn, Thammasat 2019)].
ไผทชิต เอกจริยกร. คำอธิบายกฎหมายจ้างแรงงาน จ้างทำของ รับขน (พิมพ์ครั้งที่ 10, วิญญูชน 2554) [Pathaichit Eagjariyakorn. Explanation on the Law of Hire of Service, Hire of Work, Transportation Service (10th edn, Winyuchon 2011)].
ไพจิตร ผาวัน, ชำนาญ พิเชษฐ์พันธ์, และกัมพล กิตติพงษ์พัฒนา. คำอธิบายสัญญาจ้างเหมาก่อสร้างมาตรฐาน (สัญญาศรีปทุม) (เฟิสท์ ออฟเซท 2563) [Paijit Pawan, Chamnan Pichedpan, and Kumpon Kittipongpattana. Commentary on Standard Lump Sum Construction Contract (Sripatum Contract) (First Offset 2020)].