违约金调减构成司法认定研究

Research on the Judicial Determination of the Reduction of Liquidated Damages

摘要: 违约金调减制度是平衡意思自治与合同正义的重要机制，《民法典》第585条第2款确立的“过分高于损失”标准在司法适用中存在诸多争议，主要体现为损失范围界定模糊、“过分高于”判断标准不统一、违约金功能识别不清等问题。本文围绕违约金调减的构成要件，从违约行为的存在、违约金约定过分高于损失、当事人提出调减请求三方面展开分析，探讨司法认定中的关键要素，包括违约金功能的识别与影响、举证责任分配及法院的审查义务。同时，针对商事合同与民事合同的区分适用、格式条款中的违约金调减、故意违约情形的调减限制等特殊情形进行研究，并梳理程序规范中的法院释明义务与调减主张的时限要求。研究旨在明确违约金调减构成的司法认定规则，统一裁判尺度，实现意思自治与实质正义的动态平衡，为司法实践提供指引。

Abstract: The system of reducing liquidated damages is an important mechanism for balancing autonomy of will and contractual justice. The “excessively higher than the loss” standard established by Article 585, Paragraph 2 of the Civil Code has many controversies in judicial application, mainly reflected in the ambiguity of the scope of loss, the non-uniformity of the “excessively higher than” judgment standard, and the unclear identification of the function of liquidated damages. This paper analyzes the key elements in judicial determination, including the identification and influence of the function of liquidated damages, the allocation of burden of proof, and the review obligation of the court, from the three aspects of the existence of breach of contract, the liquidated damages being excessively higher than the loss, and the party’s request for reduction. At the same time, it studies special situations such as the differentiated application of commercial contracts and civil contracts, the reduction of liquidated damages in standard terms, and the reduction restrictions in cases of intentional breach of contract, and sorts out the court’s obligation to explain and the time limit requirements for the claim of reduction in procedural norms. The research aims to clarify the judicial determination rules for the constitution of liquidated damages reduction, unify the judgment standards, achieve a dynamic balance between autonomy of will and substantive justice, and provide guidance for judicial practice.