那么,在这种不断发展的法律规则和法学理论中,中国公司法中的注意义务和业务判断规则又如何呢?
1994年版本的公司法中,并没有界定注意义务,而在2005年修订的版本中,在第148条中第一次提出了“勤勉义务”的概念,但并没有任何的进一步界定,同样也就很难有业务判断规则的界定。非但如此,勤勉义务究竟是指duty of diligence还是指duty of care也是有待于推敲的。但对董事的决策责任,则在两个版本的公司法均有规定,113条第3款规定了股份公司的董事决策责任,“董事应当对董事会的决议承担责任。董事会的决议违反法律、行政法规或者公司章程、股东大会决议,致使公司遭受严重损失的,参与决议的董事对公司负赔偿责任。但经证明在表决时曾表明异议并记载于会议记录的,该董事可以免除责任”,对有限责任的董事决策只是第49条第2款要求,“董事会应当对所议事项的决定作成会议记录,出席会议的董事应当在会议记录上签名。”
这一规则和注意义务相比,更多指向了遵守法律(obey the law)和公司形式(formality)的义务,强调决策行为的正当性。这和注意义务之间有不同,但也有重叠。这是由于法律和章程常常会采用比较含糊和笼统的表述,具体判断的时候还是需要借助于特定事项是否符合注意义务、是否造成了公司损失来判断。不过,其中的决策责任的抗辩理由,有令人啼笑皆非的感觉,如果董事签名反对了就可以免责,那么在现行的股份公司制度下,董事的最优选择是“反对”,因为不作为、不决策,就无需承担责任。尽管在中国现行的股东控制公司模式下,股东仍然可以更换不作出决策的董事来达到控制和激励的平衡。但如果再进一步考虑我国的诸多上市公司都属于公共性更强的国有企业,他们既不能分享剩余,也不能获得与业绩相关的激励,董事和管理者的行为规则更近似于官员而不是企业家,多一事不如少一事,最后的结果可能就是“枪打出头鸟”,而什么决策都不作的反而免责,这如何促使管理层有效决策?
总体上来说,我国的模式既不是侵权模式的责任规则,也不是业务判断规则,是僵化的“签名认定标准。”可是即便如此规则,我们还可以从“郑百文”的“陆家豪”被证监会处罚中看到另外一种逻辑:一个人不参与决策,并且实际上不能参与决策,反而被处罚。这种激励将会引导公司去向何方?
【作者简介】
邓峰,生于1973年7月,山东省诸城市人,汉族,主要研究领域为:企业
公司法、竞争法、经济法总论、民商法总论、法律经济学、社会规范和社会演进、产业组织理论和公司治理,现任教于北京大学法学院。
【注释】参见刘连煜:《公司监控与社会责任》,台北五南图书出版公司1995年版,第151页。
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Unocal Corp.v.Mesa Petroleum Co.,493 A.2d 946,(Del.1985),at p.954.
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Charles Hansen,The ALI Corporate Governance Project:of the Duty of Due Care and the Business Judgment Rule,a Commentary,The Business Lawyer,Vol.41,1986,pp.1237—1253,at 1239—40.
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参见张维迎:《产权、激励与公司治理》,经济科学出版社2005年版,第197页。See also Reinier H.Kraakman,Corporate Liability Strategies and the Costs of Legal Controls,Yale Law Journal,Vol.93,1984,pp.857—898,at p.864.
Kenneth B.Davis,Jr.,Once More,The Business Judgment Rule,Wisconsin Law Review,2000,pp.573—595,at p.574.
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See W.V.H.Rogers,Winfield & Jolowicz on Torts,Fifteenth Edition,Sweet & Maxwell,1998,pp.837—838.
See R.A.Percy and C.T.Walton,Charlesworth & Percy on Negligence,0p.Cit.,p.125.
See V.Finch,Company Director:Who Cares about Skill and Care?,Modern Law Review,Vol.55,1992,p.179.
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See Paul L.Davies,Gower and Davies’Principles of Modern Company Law,7th edition,Sweet & Maxwell,2003,p.432.
See Joanna Bird and Jennifer Hill,Regulatory Rooms in Australian Corporate Law,Brooklyn Journal of International Law,Vol.251999,pp.555—606,at p.562.
(马来西亚)罗修章、王鸣峰:《
公司法:权力与责任》,杨飞等译,法律出版社2005年版,第453页。
R.A.Riley,The Company Director’s Duty of Care and Skill:The Case for an Onerous but Subjective Standard,Modern Law Review,Vol.62,1999,pp.697—724,at p.699.
Re RJR Nabisco,Inc.Shareholders Litigation,Del.Ch.Jan.31,1989,p.91.
See Melvin A.Eisenberg,The Duty of Care of Corporate Directors and Officer,University of Pittsburgh Law Review,Vol.51,1990,pp.945—972,at pp.961—962.
参见邓峰:《作为社团的法人:重构公司理论的一个框架》,《中外法学》2004年第6期。