Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Certain Issues Concerning the Application of the System of Limitation of Action in the Trail of Civil Cases

最高人民法院关于审理民事案件适用诉讼时效制度若干问题的规定

Promulgating Institution: Supreme People's Court

Document Number: Fa Shi [2008] No. 11

Promulgating Date: 08/21/2008

Effective Date: 09/01/2008

颁布机关: 最高人民法院

文    号: 法释[2008]11号

颁布时间: 08/21/2008

实施时间: 09/01/2008

Text

正文

(Adopted at the 1450th Session of the Trial Committee of the Supreme People's Court on 11 August 2008)

In order to correctly apply the provisions of laws relating to the system of limitation of action and protect the lawful rights and interests of the parties, these Provisions are formulated in accordance with the General Principles of the Civil Law of the People's Republic of China ("General Principles of the Civil Law"), the Real Right Law of the People's Republic of China , the Contract Law of the People's Republic of China ("Contract Law"), the Civil Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China, and other laws, and by taking into account the trial practices.

（2008年8月11日最高人民法院审判委员会第1450次会议通过）

    为正确适用法律关于诉讼时效制度的规定，保护当事人的合法权益，依照《中华人民共和国民法通则》、《中华人民共和国物权法》、《中华人民共和国合同法》、《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》等法律的规定，结合审判实践，制定本规定。

   Article 1   A party may raise a defense against limitation of action for the claim for creditor's rights. However, a people's court shall not uphold a defense against limitation of action with respect to the following claims for creditor's rights:

(1) Claim for payment for the principal and interest of a deposit;

(2) Claim for cashing the principal and interest of government bonds and financial bonds as well as enterprise bonds that are issued towards unspecific objects;

(3) Claim for payment of capital contribution resulting from an investment relationship; and

(4) Other claims for creditor's rights to which the provisions on limitation of action are not applicable.

     第一条 当事人可以对债权请求权提出诉讼时效抗辩,但对下列债权请求权提出诉讼时效抗辩的,人民法院不予支持:

    (一)支付存款本金及利息请求权;

    (二)兑付国债、金融债券以及向不特定对象发行的企业债券本息请求权;

    (三)基于投资关系产生的缴付出资请求权;

    (四)其他依法不适用诉讼时效规定的债权请求权。

   Article 2   A people's court shall not admit any agreement reached by the parties concerned on extending or shortening the period of limitation of action or on waiving the interests in the limitation of action beforehand in violation of the provisions of laws.

     第二条 当事人违反法律规定,约定延长或者缩短诉讼时效期间、预先放弃诉讼时效利益的,人民法院不予认可。

   Article 3   If a party does not raise any defense against limitation of action , a people's court shall neither make any clarification of the issue concerning limitation of action nor take the initiative to apply the provisions on limitation of action to make a ruling.

     第三条 当事人未提出诉讼时效抗辩,人民法院不应对诉讼时效问题进行释明及主动适用诉讼时效的规定进行裁判。

   Article 4   Where a party concerned fails to raise a defense against limitation of action in the first instance but raises such defense during the second instance, a people's court shall not uphold such defense unless the party can, based on new evidence, prove that the period of limitation of action of the other party's claim has expired.

If a party fails to raise a defense against limitation of action according to the preceding paragraph and applies for retrial or raises a defense for retrial on the ground of expiry of the period of limitation of action, a people's court shall not uphold such application or defense.

     第四条 当事人在一审期间未提出诉讼时效抗辩,在二审期间提出的,人民法院不予支持,但其基于新的证据能够证明对方当事人的请求权已过诉讼时效期间的情形除外。

    当事人未按照前款规定提出诉讼时效抗辩,以诉讼时效期间届满为由申请再审或者提出再审抗辩的,人民法院不予支持。

   Article 5   In the event of performance of the same debt in installments as agreed by the parties, the period of limitation of action shall commence from the date of expiry of the time limit for performance of the last installment.

     第五条 当事人约定同一债务分期履行的,诉讼时效期间从最后一期履行期限届满之日起计算。

   Article 6   With respect to a contract of which the time limit for performance is not specified, the period of limitation of action shall commence from the date of expiry of the time limit for performance if the time limit for performance can be determined pursuant to the provisions of Article 61 or 62 of the Contract Law, or shall otherwise commence from the date of expiry of the grace period when the creditor requires the debtor to perform his obligations if the time limit for performance cannot be determined. However, if a debtor clearly expresses his refusal to perform the obligations thereunder when the creditor makes the first assertion of the rights towards the debtor, the period of limitation of action shall commence from the date of the debtor's clear expression of refusal to perform the obligations.

     第六条 未约定履行期限的合同,依照合同法第六十一条、第六十二条的规定,可以确定履行期限的,诉讼时效期间从履行期限届满之日起计算;不能确定履行期限的,诉讼时效期间从债权人要求债务人履行义务的宽限期届满之日起计算,但债务人在债权人第一次向其主张权利之时明确表示不履行义务的,诉讼时效期间从债务人明确表示不履行义务之日起计算。

   Article 7   If the party that has the right of nullification requests the revocation of a contract, the provisions of Article 55 of the Contract Law on the statute of repose of one year shall apply.

If the other party raises a defense against limitation of action for the claim to revoke a contract, a people's court shall not uphold such defense.

In the case of revocation of a contract, the period of limitation of action for a claim for return of property, or compensation for loss shall commence from the date of revocation of the contract.

     第七条 享有撤销权的当事人一方请求撤销合同的,应适用合同法第五十五条关于一年除斥期间的规定。

    对方当事人对撤销合同请求权提出诉讼时效抗辩的,人民法院不予支持。

    合同被撤销,返还财产、赔偿损失请求权的诉讼时效期间从合同被撤销之日起计算。

   Article 8   The period of limitation of action for a claim for return of unjustified benefits shall commence from the date on which a party knows or ought to know of the fact of the unjustified benefits and the other party.

     第八条 返还不当得利请求权的诉讼时效期间,从当事人一方知道或者应当知道不当得利事实及对方当事人之日起计算。

   Article 9   The period of limitation of action for a claim of a manager for payment of necessary management expenses or compensation for loss arising from an act of management without cause shall commence from the date on which the act of management without cause is terminated and the manager knows or ought to know of principal.

The period of limitation of action for a claim of the principal for compensation for loss arising from an act of improper management without cause shall commence from the date on which the person knows or ought to know of the manager and the fact of the infringement.

     第九条 管理人因无因管理行为产生的给付必要管理费用、赔偿损失请求权的诉讼时效期间,从无因管理行为结束并且管理人知道或者应当知道本人之日起计算。

    本人因不当无因管理行为产生的赔偿损失请求权的诉讼时效期间,从其知道或者应当知道管理人及损害事实之日起计算。

   Article 10   Any of the following circumstances shall be determined as falling within the meaning of "either party makes a requirement" as stated in Article 140 of the General Principles of the Civil Law and shall have the effect of discontinuing the limitation of action:

(1) A party directly delivers to the other party the document asserting rights and the other party signs or seals the document, or the delivery of the document to the other party can otherwise be proved , in the absence of such signature or seal;

(2) Either party asserts rights by sending a letter or data message and the letter or data message reaches or ought to reach the other party;

(3) Either party is a finance institution and deducts the principal and interest of the arrears from the other party's account according to the provisions of law or as agreed by the parties;

(4) Either party's whereabouts are unknown and the other party makes a public notice with the content of the assertion of rights in a national medium or an influential provincial medium of the place where that party whose whereabouts are unknown is domiciled, except as otherwise specially provided for in laws or judicial interpretations.

Under the circumstance set forth in Item (1) of the preceding paragraph, if the other party is a legal person or any other organization, the person who signs for receipt may be the legal representative, the person bearing primary responsibility, the department in charge of receipt and dispatching of letters, or an authorized subject of the legal person or other organization, or, in the event of a natural person, the natural person himself/herself or the natural person's relative with full capacity of conduct living with him/her or an authorized subject of the natural person.

     第十条 具有下列情形之一的,应当认定为民法通则第一百四十条规定的“当事人一方提出要求”,产生诉讼时效中断的效力:

    (一)当事人一方直接向对方当事人送交主张权利文书,对方当事人在文书上签字、盖章或者虽未签字、盖章但能够以其他方式证明该文书到达对方当事人的;

    (二)当事人一方以发送信件或者数据电文方式主张权利,信件或者数据电文到达或者应当到达对方当事人的;

    (三)当事人一方为金融机构,依照法律规定或者当事人约定从对方当事人账户中扣收欠款本息的;

    (四)当事人一方下落不明,对方当事人在国家级或者下落不明的当事人一方住所地的省级有影响的媒体上刊登具有主张权利内容的公告的,但法律和司法解释另有特别规定的,适用其规定。

    前款第(一)项情形中,对方当事人为法人或者其他组织的,签收人可以是其法定代表人、主要负责人、负责收发信件的部门或者被授权主体;对方当事人为自然人的,签收人可以是自然人本人、同住的具有完全行为能力的亲属或者被授权主体。

   Article 11   When a rights owner asserts his rights in respect of a portion of the same creditor's rights, the effect of discontinuance of the limitation of action shall be extended to the remaining portion, unless the rights owner clearly expresses the waiver of the remaining portion.

     第十一条 权利人对同一债权中的部分债权主张权利,诉讼时效中断的效力及于剩余债权,但权利人明确表示放弃剩余债权的情形除外。

   Article 12   If either party submits a complaint, or files an action orally, with a people's court, the limitation of action shall be discontinued from the date of submission of the complaint or filing of the oral action.

     第十二条 当事人一方向人民法院提交起诉状或者口头起诉的,诉讼时效从提交起诉状或者口头起诉之日起中断。

   Article 13   A people's court shall determine any of the following matters to have the same effect as the filing of an action on discontinuance of the limitation of action:

(1) Application for arbitration;

(2) Application for a payment order;

(3) Application for bankruptcy or declaration of the bankruptcy creditor's rights;

(4) Application to declare an obligor as missing or dead for asserting rights;

(5) Application for pre-litigation measures such as pre-litigation property preservation and pre-litigation interim injunction;

(6) Application for compulsory enforcement;

(7) Application to add a party to the action or notification to a party to participate in the proceedings;

(8) Assertion of offset in the action; or

(9) Other matters that have the same effect as the filing of an action on discontinuance of the limitation of action.

     第十三条 下列事项之一,人民法院应当认定与提起诉讼具有同等诉讼时效中断的效力:

    (一)申请仲裁;

    (二)申请支付令;

    (三)申请破产、申报破产债权;

    (四)为主张权利而申请宣告义务人失踪或死亡;

    (五)申请诉前财产保全、诉前临时禁令等诉前措施;

    (六)申请强制执行;

    (七)申请追加当事人或者被通知参加诉讼;

    (八)在诉讼中主张抵销;

    (九)其他与提起诉讼具有同等诉讼时效中断效力的事项。

   Article 14   In the event of a request made by a rights owner for protection over the appropriate civil rights to a people's mediation committee or any other social organization such as a State organ, institution, or social group that has the right to settle relevant civil disputes in accordance with the law, the limitation of action shall be discontinued from the date of making of the request.

     第十四条 权利人向人民调解委员会以及其他依法有权解决相关民事纠纷的国家机关、事业单位、社会团体等社会组织提出保护相应民事权利的请求,诉讼时效从提出请求之日起中断。

   Article 15   If a rights owner reports a case, or brings an accusation, to a public security authority, people's procuratorate, or people's court requesting protection over its civil rights, the limitation action shall be discontinued from the date of report or accusation.

If any of the said authorities decides not to initiate the case, to cancel the case, or not to institute prosecution, a new period of limitation of action shall commence from the date on which the rights owner knows or ought to know of the decision; in the event of a criminal case under trial, a new period of limitation of action shall be calculated from the date of effectiveness of a criminal judgment.

     第十五条 权利人向公安机关、人民检察院、人民法院报案或者控告,请求保护其民事权利的,诉讼时效从其报案或者控告之日起中断。

    上述机关决定不立案、撤销案件、不起诉的,诉讼时效期间从权利人知道或者应当知道不立案、撤销案件或者不起诉之日起重新计算;刑事案件进入审理阶段,诉讼时效期间从刑事裁判文书生效之日起重新计算。

   Article 16   Any promise or conduct made by an obligator such as installment performance, partial performance, provision of guaranty, request for delay in performance, or laying down a plan for repayment of debt shall be determined to be either party's "consent to perform its obligations" provided for in Article 140 of the General Principles of the Civil Law.

     第十六条 义务人作出分期履行、部分履行、提供担保、请求延期履行、制定清偿债务计划等承诺或者行为的,应当认定为民法通则第一百四十条规定的当事人一方“同意履行义务。”

   Article 17   A cause that has the effect of discontinuing the limitation of action with respect to any of the joint and several creditors shall be determined to have the effect of discontinuing limitation of action with respect to the other joint and several creditors.

A cause that has the effect of discontinuing limitation of action with respect to any of the joint and several debtors shall be determined to have the effect of discontinuing limitation of action with respect to the other joint and several debtors.

     第十七条 对于连带债权人中的一人发生诉讼时效中断效力的事由,应当认定对其他连带债权人也发生诉讼时效中断的效力。

    对于连带债务人中的一人发生诉讼时效中断效力的事由,应当认定对其他连带债务人也发生诉讼时效中断的效力。

   Article 18   When a creditor files an action for the right of subrogation, such action shall be deemed to have the effect of discontinuing the limitation of action in respect of the creditor's rights of both the creditor and the debtor.

     第十八条 债权人提起代位权诉讼的,应当认定对债权人的债权和债务人的债权均发生诉讼时效中断的效力。

   Article 19   In the event of transfer of the creditor's rights, the limitation of action shall be determined to be discontinued from the date of receipt of a notice to the debtor on transfer of the creditor's rights.

In the case of assumption of a debt which constitutes the original debtor's recognition of the debt, the limitation of action shall be determined to be discontinued from the date on which the creditor receives the manifestation of intention to assume the debt.

     第十九条 债权转让的,应当认定诉讼时效从债权转让通知到达债务人之日起中断。

    债务承担情形下,构成原债务人对债务承认的,应当认定诉讼时效从债务承担意思表示到达债权人之日起中断。

   Article 20   Any of the following circumstances shall be determined as falling under "other obstructions" as specified in Article 139 of the General Principles of the Civil Law and shall suspend the limitation of action:

(1) A person without capacity for civil conduct or with limited capacity for civil conduct whose rights are infringed does not have a statutory agent or the statutory agent dies, loses the authority of agency, or loses the capacity for conduct;

(2) The heir or the manager of the property of the deceased has not yet been determined after the beginning of the inheritance;

(3) The rights owner is under the control of the obligor or any other person and is unable to assert his/her rights; or

(4) Other objective circumstances that result in the rights owner's failure to assert his/her rights.

     第二十条 有下列情形之一的,应当认定为民法通则第一百三十九条规定的“其他障碍”,诉讼时效中止:

    (一)权利被侵害的无民事行为能力人、限制民事行为能力人没有法定代理人,或者法定代理人死亡、丧失代理权、丧失行为能力;

    (二)继承开始后未确定继承人或者遗产管理人;

    (三)权利人被义务人或者其他人控制无法主张权利;

    (四)其他导致权利人不能主张权利的客观情形。

   Article 21   In the event of expiry of the period of limitation of action for a principal obligation, the warrantor shall be entitled to the principal obligor's right of defense against the limitation of action.

If a warrantor fails to assert the said right of defense against the limitation of action and exercises the right to claim recovery against the principal obligor after the assumption of the warranty liability, a people's court shall not uphold such claim, unless the principal obligor consents to make the repayment to satisfy the claim.

     第二十一条 主债务诉讼时效期间届满,保证人享有主债务人的诉讼时效抗辩权。

    保证人未主张前述诉讼时效抗辩权,承担保证责任后向主债务人行使追偿权的,人民法院不予支持,但主债务人同意给付的情形除外。

   Article 22   If, at the expiry of the period of limitation of action, either party raises a defense on the ground of the expiry of the period of limitation of action after manifesting the intention to consent to perform the obligation to the other party or after performing the obligation voluntarily, a people's court shall not uphold the defense.

     第二十二条 诉讼时效期间届满,当事人一方向对方当事人作出同意履行义务的意思表示或者自愿履行义务后,又以诉讼时效期间届满为由进行抗辩的,人民法院不予支持。

   Article 23   These Provisions shall be applicable to the cases that are still at the first or second instance after their implementation. When a people's court retries a case that has been closed before the implementation of these Provisions, these Provisions shall not apply.

     第二十三条 本规定施行后,案件尚在一审或者二审阶段的,适用本规定;本规定施行前已经终审的案件,人民法院进行再审时,不适用本规定。

   Article 24   In the case of any relevant judicial interpretation made by the Supreme People's Court before the implementation of these Provisions contrary to these Provisions, these Provisions shall apply.

     第二十四条 本规定施行前本院作出的有关司法解释与本规定相抵触的,以本规定为准。