Novacija: teorija ir praktika

LTVienas iš svarbiausių prievolių teisės principų yra pacta sunt servanda – kiekviena sutartis yra privaloma jos šalims ir šalys privalo sąžiningai ją vykdyti. Tačiau šis principas, kaip ir dauguma kitų principų, nėra absoliutus ir turi išimčių. Viena iš jų yra novacija, įtvirtinta Lietuvos Respublikos civilinio kodekso (toliau CK) šeštosios knygos IX skyriaus trečiame skirsnyje. 2001 m. liepos 1 d. įsigaliojęs CK gyvuoja jau šešerius metus, tačiau iki šiol Lietuvos teisės doktrinoje nėra nagrinėti novacijos reglamentavimo ypatumai, specifika, skirtumai nuo kitų institutų, dėl to dažnai daroma klaidų. Atsižvelgiant į tai šiame straipsnyje apibūdinama esminė novacijos samprata, jos skirtybės nuo kitų institutų naudojant istorinę, užsienio šalių novacijos reglamentavimo lyginamą ją ir semantinę analizę, taip pat apžvelgiama Lietuvos Aukščiausiojo Teismo (LAT) praktika.

ENFor the proper application of novation, as a method of terminating an obligation, all the elements essential for its performance, which are not so easily discernible at first sight, have to be known. In addition, it must be borne in mind that there exist three methods of applying novation, which are often confused with the institutes of assignment and the assumption of debt, the application of which results in different legal consequences. Despite the fact that the Civil Code of the Republic of Lithuania has been in effect for five years already, the relevant source material necessary for the analysis of this institute is still difficult to find not only in Lithuania but in the legal literature of other countries as well. Thus, the author discovers the elements of novation by means of applying historic, comparative, semantic, and other types of analysis to distinguish novation from the other institutes mentioned above. The lack of adequate studies in the application of this institute has also affected the practice being formed by the Supreme Court of Lithuania, where the application of the institute of novation is not always appropriate.Although the principal conception of novation in Lithuania conforms to the understanding of this institute in other countries, its regulation here, nevertheless, is quite specific as, contrary to the practice of Italy, the Province of Quebec, or France, where assumption of debt has been considered as one of the expressions of novation since as far back as the times of Roman law, the Lithuanian legislator has chosen a particular mode of regulation by separating novation from the assumption of debt. While doing the present analysis, the author has come to a conclusion that at present the institute of novation is still far from popular in practice despite it being a considerably convenient method, particularly in business practices, that provides for the execution of a single action - an ongoing obligation is replaced by a new one - instead of the necessity to perform two actions - to terminate an ongoing obligation and only afterwards to conclude a new one.