The Human Rights’ Principle of Private Autonomy in Contract Law (A Comparative Study of the Laws of Germany, England and Iran)

Abstract

Private autonomy is one of the principles of human rights,according to which the individual freely exercises his will fully, in individual and social life. Imposing a duty on a person is just when it is based on the free choice of the individual. The principle of freedom of contract and its consequent principle of contractual freedom,with respect to the will and liberties, is also rooted in the principles of human rights.Contractual freedom has traditionally emphasized the negative side of freedom,namely the non-interference and sanctity of contracts.The positive aspect of freedoms is the emphasis on the free development of different aspects of personality that require intervention. The question is,can private autonomy be considered a positive aspect of freedom and prevent the exploitation of the parties? In a comparative study of German and British law, we will see that the principle of private autonomy,relying on the right to self-determination, is seen as positive aspect of contractual freedom, which is an important basis for upholding fundamental human rights in support of the weaker party and countering unfair conditions. In Iranian law,this principle can be extracted by means of principles that override the negative aspect of contractual freedom and limit the essential as necessary.

Keywords

• principle of private autonomy
• right to self determination
• contractual freedom
• unfair conditions
• fundamental rights