본 글에서는 민사소송절차에서 정당한 당사자가 될 수 있는 자격인 당사자적격에 적용되어야 할 국가의 법에 대하여 살펴보았다. 당사자적격은 민사소송법의 영역에서 주로 논의되기 때문에 ‘절차는 법정지법에 따른다.’는 원칙상 당연히 법정지의 민사소송법이 적용된다고 생각하기 쉽다. 이러한 이유 때문인지 당사자적격의 준거법에 관한 법원 판결을 거의 찾아볼 수 없다. 그러나 절차적 사항에 해당하는 당사자적격의 개념이나 요건은 법정지법인 우리 법이 적용되어야 하지만, 법률관계에 대한 처분권이 있는 자에게 당사자적격이 인정되는 것이 원칙이므로 당사자적격의 결정에 있어서 외국법이 적용되는 경우가 적지 않다. 그러함에도 불구하고 법률관계에 대한 처분권이 발생하는 근거가 매우 다양하고, 우리에게 매우 생소한 외국의 법제도가 적지 않으며, 절차법적 성격과 실체법적 성격을 모두 갖고 있는 경우도 적지 않기 때문에, 당사자적격의 결정에 있어서 적용되는 국가의 법에 관하여 일률적인 기준을 확정하는 것은 불가능해 보인다. 결국 개별적 사안마다 이를 판단할 수밖에 없는데, 다만 소송의 형태에 따라서 어느 정도의 기준이 제시될 수 있을 것이다.
This article discusses the law applicable in determining proper parties in civil proceedings. It is easily thought that the civil procedure law of the country where the seised court seats will be applied under the principle that lex fori applies to procedures because proper parties are dealt mainly in the area of the civil procedure law. Maybe for this reason it is hard to find court rulings regarding the applicable law of proper parties. There are lots of circumstances, however, in which the proper parties shall be determined under foreign laws as persons having rights to dispose legal relationship are deemed to be proper parties, though the concept of and requirements for being proper parties are governed by Korean laws as lex fori. Nevertheless, it seems to be impossible to establish only one principle for determining proper parties since there are various grounds to generate rights to dispose legal relationship, there are various foreign law systems unfamiliar to us and there are various cases having both substantive and procedural characters. Consequently it shall be determined in each specific case provided that a certain degree of tests can be suggested according to types of civil proceedings.
This article discusses the law applicable in determining proper parties in civil proceedings. It is easily thought that the civil procedure law of the country where the seised court seats will be applied under the principle that lex fori applies to procedures because proper parties are dealt mainly in the area of the civil procedure law. Maybe for this reason it is hard to find court rulings regarding the applicable law of proper parties. There are lots of circumstances, however, in which the proper parties shall be determined under foreign laws as persons having rights to dispose legal relationship are deemed to be proper parties, though the concept of and requirements for being proper parties are governed by Korean laws as lex fori. Nevertheless, it seems to be impossible to establish only one principle for determining proper parties since there are various grounds to generate rights to dispose legal relationship, there are various foreign law systems unfamiliar to us and there are various cases having both substantive and procedural characters. Consequently it shall be determined in each specific case provided that a certain degree of tests can be suggested according to types of civil proceedings.