The purpose of the study is to delve into the public law features of public contracts entered into by, and administrative tort claims against, public administrative bodies including the State or local governments(hereafter referred to as ‘public bod...
The purpose of the study is to delve into the public law features of public contracts entered into by, and administrative tort claims against, public administrative bodies including the State or local governments(hereafter referred to as ‘public bodies’).
Conventionally, contract law and tort law have been thought as private laws ruling rights and liabilities in the private dimensions. However enormous volume of contracts have entered into the scene of public administration and increasing risks have emerged as government functions expand, often with private participations, in contemporary administrative states.
Exploring the ‘public’ law features means, as a basic premise, there are public law principles distinct from those of‘private’law. In civil law tradition it is generally accepted that the public-private distinction is essential, whereas in common law tradition that is regarded as nothing more than historical, convenient or habitual.
Korean legal system had been set under the strong influence of German law until the 1945 National Liberation, since then there have been various influences of American law. Now it can be worthwhile studying how different regulations and legal practices have been rendered with regard to public contracts and administrative tort claims in different jurisdictions across the borders of civil law country and common law country, respectively in Korea and in the U.S.
The idea is that, referring public law features, the main characteristics of public law are ① binding forces of statutes and regulations on public bodies’ acts (as rule of law), ② the balancing adjustment of public-private interests, and ③ enhanced accountability of public bodies.
In Korea, we can recognize prominent tendencies in jurisprudence of courts to treat the majority of public contracts including but not limiting to procurement contracts as private law contracts, in which public bodies as well as private contractors can enjoy the freedom of contract under the principle of private autonomy, with full binding effects given to the contract clauses deviating from statutory provisions like Act on Contracts to which Government is a Party. The clear-cut standard of distinction in legal practices is yet to be set between public law contracts over which exclusive jurisdiction falls in administrative courts and private law contracts, the disputes of which are civil cases.
American common law of contracts has the general principle that when government enters into contract relations, its rights and duties are governed by the same law applicable to contracts between private individuals. Though, unlike contracts between private parties, government contracts varying from statutory of regulatory provisions, commonly described as “waivers” and “deviations” respectively, must comply with strict requirements and procedures provided in law and non-compliance will result in unauthorized transaction. Beneath this controlling forces of statutes and regulations, there are considerations of the constitutional appropriation clause, rule of law, and the separation of powers doctrine. Convenience termination clause invests contracting officers with the discretion to unilaterally terminate its contractual commitments without incurring liability for breach, consequently increasing adverse risks against contractors. The jurisprudence of the Court of Federal Claims and the Federal Circuit, especially from Torncello to Krygoski shows judicial endeavors to establish the criteria for convenience termination. Likewise, the controversies over the unmistakability doctrine or the sovereign acts doctrine in Winstar cases present the tensions between congruence ideal and exceptionalism with regard to the special government status as sovereign. It is also noteworthy that American government contract law provides plural forums and procedures for contract award disputes and post-award contract disputes.
Administrative tort law should function as a main tool to maintain accountability of public bodies, whereas it is also required to secure the proprieties of public functions by way of limiting tort liabilities so as not to arose excessive fear of law suits among public officers. In America, after long time of sovereign immunity regime, the enactment of the Federal Tort Claims Act of 1946(FTCA) waived sovereign immunity by legislative way, but still with a long list of exceptions including the discretionary function exception(DFE) and the combatant activities exception leading to rather sweeping Feres doctrine. These brought about convincing criticism and persistent legislative proposals to amend the FTCA.
Korean administrative tort law has never precluded the State or local governments from tort liabilities since the first Constitution. The same is true with the area of discretionary function. However, jurisprudence of the Supreme Court has set forth the‘objective justification’standard which often functions to limit tort liabilities of public bodies in reviewing tort suits even after relevant disposition of discretionary character was declared as illegal or void in previous appeals suit. This is not desirable practice in the sense that risks or public burdens caused in the pursuit of public good must be allocated in fair and equitable manner.
The most suggestive implications that can be drawn from American government contract law and FTCA lie with the attempts and endeavors to limit the privileges and immunities of sovereignty thus enhancing its public accountability, rather than the deep-rooted practices of sovereign immunity.