صياغة العقود (الهندسة القانونية) تُعبّر عما تتجه إليه إرادة الأطراف لصنعه وإحداثه، وتعدّ إدارة المرحلة السابقة للدخول في حيِّز الالتزامات العقدية بين (أطراف العقد) ومن أهم المراحل التي تستوجب ضبطاً واهتماماً، وتستلزم حرصاً ووضوحاً من كل طرف، إذ إنها تُعد مرحلة مؤسِّسة لما بعدها من التزامات. ويصف (ديكرسون) الصياغة القانونية بشكل عام بما يمكن تسميَته بـ (القانون الوقائي)، ويعني بذلك أن مهمة الصائغ القانوني في كتابة العقود والاتفاقيات والوثائق أن تحول دون اللجوء إلى التقاضي، وتمنع حدوث النزاعات التي يمكن الوقوع فيها مستقبلاً؛ وذلك عن طريق توقعها والتكهن بآثارها ووضع الحلول اللازمة لسد ثغرات كل نزاع من الممكن أن يرد إليها. ومما يلاحظ من الأخطار الشائعة في الجو الاجتماعي العام عدم بذل العناية العالية في كثير من العقود أيّاً كان محلّها، والاعتماد الكلي على العقود المعلّبة الجاهزة دون تمحيصها والتدقيق فيها وقياس نتائجها.
تقوم أركان صياغة العقد بشكل قانوني سليم على أساس متين من إتقان ما يقضي به القانون واجب التطبيق، فيجب أن يكون للصائغ نظرٌ في مواد النظام الحاكم للعقد المصوغ، وهو في الغالب ما يكون (نظام المعاملات المدنية) الصادر بالمرسوم الملكي ذي الرقم (م/191) بتاريخ 29/11/1444هـ فيما يرد من عقود تكتسب الطابع المدني، بالإضافة إلى القانون التجاري بأعرافه في العقود التجارية مع ما يُمليه (نظام المعاملات المدنية) من أحكام وضوابط قانونية.
من أجل ذلك يكتسب (نظام المعاملات المدنية) الأهميّة لما ورد به من بيان دقيق للأحكام الموضوعية والتفصيلية لضوابط النظرية العامة للالتزام، خصوصاً في الجزء الأول من النظام المتعلق بالعقد باعتباره مصدراً من مصادر الالتزام الإرادية، وما يستلزمه من لوازم في تحقيق أركان العقد المسلم بها، عبر مطابقة الإيجاب للقبول، وسلامة الرضا بين أطرافه، بالإضافة إلى مشروعية محلّ العقد وقيام سببه وعدم مخالفتهما للآداب والنظام العام. فمثلاً؛ لو كان الصائغ بصدد كتابة عقد عمل؛ فعليه العناية بما ورد في نصوص (نظام العمل ولائحته التنفيذية) مع استصحاب ما ورد في (نظام المعاملات المدنية) من أحكام، ويقيس كل ذلك على عقده المصوغ فلا يخالف أحكاماً عامة ولا خاصة - إذا كانت آمرة -، ولا يناهض أركاناً أساسية تعد من مقتضيات القواعد القانونية، وعليه أن يسترعي الانتباه بأن يكون على سنام ما يعتني به ألا يكون في صياغته ما يعدُّ مخالفاً لأحكام الشريعة الإسلامية. ولجميع ما تقدّم فإن البراعة في صياغة العقود يكون بالتضلع بما يرد في القانون المدني بالمقام الأول.
تعدُّ الصِّياغة القانونية للعقود عملاً إبداعيّاً نزيهاً يسعى القائم به إلى تحقيق أهداف (أطراف العقد) في ضوء ما ترمي إليه إراداتهم وما يفرضه موضوع التعاقد محل الصياغة. وما أحسن ما قاله الدكتور عمر الخولي في أحد دوراته التدريبية، إذ قال: «تنمية مهاراتك في صياغة العقود لا تختلف عن بداياتك في تعلم قيادة السيارة التي لم تتمكن من إجادتها إلا بعد أن يجلس إلى جوارك من يوجهك ويأخذ بيدك، ويعمل على رفع مهاراتك فيها إلى أن احترفتها وأصبحت تقود وحدك دون مرشد. وفي الصياغة التعاقدية لا بد من إرساء فكرة مؤداها، أنه عند عرض النص التعاقدي على طرفي العقد، وفهم كل منهما البند بطريقة مختلفة عن الآخر، فعندها وجب تغيير أو تعديل صياغة البند على نحو يقود إلى اتحادهما في تفسير عباراته». كما أضاف إلى ذلك جملة من المحاذير التي يجب تجنبها عند الصياغة القانونية حتى لا تكون معيبة في مدلولها وآثارها، وذلك بقوله: «حينما يكون النص التعاقدي غير قاطع الدلالة على المراد، أو تعلو صياغته مسحة من الغموض، أو تكتسي مفرداته لمسات من التناقض، أو تتغشّاه غيوم من الجهالة، أو تتلبّسه الاحتمالات على نحو يقود إلى اعتناق أطرافه عدداً من التفسيرات المتباينة، فهو نص مؤهل لأن يكون سبباً للخلاف ووقوداً للنزاع!»،
على صائغ العقد أن يجعل من أولى أفكاره في حال نشوب نزاع ما (بين أطراف العقد) – لا سمح الله – أن يركن في طريقه لرأب الصدع بين (أطراف العقد) ما تمليه خبرته في إدارة الموقف القانوني، وذلك كاللجوء لما حدث في مجلس العقد، وما يشير إليه دلائل الحال والنية الحسنة المفترضة، مع الاحتكام إلى الشريعة الإسلامية والأنظمة المعمول بها والعرف المتبع.
الصياغة مكانة كبرى وقيمة عظمى
تحتل صياغة العقود مكانة كبرى وقيمة عظمى إذا ما استخدمت استخداماً أمثلَ مع ما تقضي به أحكام الأنظمة والتشريعات السارية. ويعد من طليعة نتائج فهم (أطراف العقد) لبنود العقد وشروطه وحدوده أنه يحول بينهم وبين اللجوء إلى القضاء، ويعتبر بدوره قانوناً وقائيّاً يحفظ لكل ذي حق حقّه، ويعتبر فن صياغة العقود من أدّق أنواع الصياغة القانونية، إذ إن السواد الأعظم من المحررات القانونية تستمدّ جذوة قبسها من معطيات (حاضرة قائمة) بيد أن صياغة العقود تتناول معطيات (حاضرة وغائبة) يتنبأ بها، ومن هنا كانت المفاهيم (المفترضة المدونة في العقد) تتطلب من صائغها مُكنة لغوية عالية، وخبرة قانونية وسيعة، وفهماً عميقاً لمصالح (أطراف العقد) وإراداتهم، إلى جانب أهمية مراعاة أحكام التوازن العقدي وما يفرضه النظام العام. لذا تبقى النصيحة قائمة لكل من أراد الدخول في التزام عقدي ما؛ بأن تُعطى مهمة صياغة العقد لمتخصص حاذق عارف، حتى يعود أثر ذلك منتجاً لجميع من هو معنيٌ بالعقد ويحقق السبيل إلى توثيق حقوقهم والتزاماتهم التعاقدية، وحمايتهم الحماية الوقائية الجادّة على أساس قانوني متين.
* باحث قانوني
تابع قناة عكاظ على الواتساب
طارق بن سعود المالكي *
The drafting of contracts (legal engineering) expresses what the will of the parties aims to create and establish. The management of the phase prior to entering the realm of contractual obligations between the (contracting parties) is one of the most critical stages that requires precision and attention, necessitating care and clarity from each party, as it is considered a foundational phase for the subsequent obligations. (Dickerson) generally describes legal drafting as what can be termed (preventive law), meaning that the task of the legal drafter in writing contracts, agreements, and documents is to prevent recourse to litigation and to avoid disputes that may arise in the future; this is achieved by anticipating them, predicting their consequences, and providing the necessary solutions to close any gaps in potential disputes. One of the common risks observed in the general social atmosphere is the lack of high diligence in many contracts, regardless of their subject matter, and the complete reliance on ready-made template contracts without scrutinizing and verifying them or measuring their outcomes.
The pillars of drafting a contract in a legally sound manner are based on a solid foundation of mastering what is required by the applicable law. The drafter must consider the provisions of the governing system for the drafted contract, which is often (the Civil Transactions Law) issued by Royal Decree No. (M/191) dated 29/11/1444 AH, regarding contracts that acquire a civil nature, in addition to commercial law with its customs in commercial contracts, along with what the (Civil Transactions Law) imposes in terms of legal provisions and regulations.
For this reason, the (Civil Transactions Law) gains importance for its precise statement of the substantive and detailed provisions of the general theory of obligations, especially in the first part of the law related to the contract as a source of voluntary obligations, and what it entails in achieving the acknowledged pillars of the contract, through the conformity of the offer to the acceptance, the validity of the consent among its parties, in addition to the legality of the subject matter of the contract and the existence of its cause, and their compliance with public morals and public order. For example, if the drafter is about to write an employment contract, they must pay attention to what is stated in the texts of the (Labor Law and its Executive Regulations), while also considering what is mentioned in the (Civil Transactions Law) regarding provisions, and they should measure all of that against their drafted contract to ensure it does not violate general or specific provisions—if they are mandatory—and does not contradict essential pillars that are considered requirements of legal rules. They must also be mindful that their drafting does not include anything that contradicts the provisions of Islamic law. Therefore, excellence in drafting contracts requires a deep understanding of what is stated in civil law primarily.
The legal drafting of contracts is considered a creative and honorable work that seeks to achieve the goals of the (contracting parties) in light of their intentions and what the subject of the contract entails. Dr. Omar Al-Khouli aptly stated in one of his training sessions: "Developing your skills in contract drafting is no different from your beginnings in learning to drive a car, which you could not master until someone sat next to you to guide you and help you improve your skills until you became proficient and could drive alone without a guide. In contractual drafting, it is essential to establish the idea that when presenting the contractual text to the parties of the contract, and each understands the clause differently from the other, then the drafting of the clause must be changed or modified in a way that leads to their unity in interpreting its phrases." He also added a number of cautions that should be avoided in legal drafting to prevent it from being flawed in its meaning and effects, stating: "When the contractual text is not clear in its indication of the intended meaning, or its drafting has an element of ambiguity, or its terms exhibit contradictions, or it is shrouded in clouds of ignorance, or it is laden with possibilities that lead the parties to adopt several varying interpretations, it is a text qualified to be a cause of disagreement and fuel for conflict!"
The drafter of the contract should make it one of their primary thoughts, in the event of a dispute arising (between the contracting parties)—God forbid—to rely on their experience in managing the legal situation to mend the rift between the (contracting parties), such as referring to what occurred during the contract session, and what the indications of the situation and the presumed good intention suggest, while adhering to Islamic law and the applicable regulations and customary practices.
Contract drafting holds a significant position and immense value
Contract drafting occupies a significant position and immense value when used optimally in accordance with the provisions of the applicable laws and regulations. One of the foremost results of the understanding of the (contracting parties) of the terms and conditions of the contract is that it prevents them from resorting to the judiciary, and it is considered a preventive law that preserves the rights of everyone entitled. The art of contract drafting is one of the most precise types of legal drafting, as the vast majority of legal documents derive their essence from (present realities), while contract drafting addresses (present and absent realities) that are anticipated. Hence, the concepts (hypothetical recorded in the contract) require from their drafter a high linguistic ability, extensive legal experience, and a deep understanding of the interests and intentions of the (contracting parties), in addition to the importance of considering the rules of contractual balance and what public order imposes. Therefore, the advice remains for anyone wishing to enter into any contractual obligation: to assign the task of drafting the contract to a skilled and knowledgeable specialist, so that the impact of that results in benefits for all parties concerned with the contract and achieves the means to document their rights and contractual obligations, providing them with serious preventive protection based on a solid legal foundation.
* Legal Researcher
The pillars of drafting a contract in a legally sound manner are based on a solid foundation of mastering what is required by the applicable law. The drafter must consider the provisions of the governing system for the drafted contract, which is often (the Civil Transactions Law) issued by Royal Decree No. (M/191) dated 29/11/1444 AH, regarding contracts that acquire a civil nature, in addition to commercial law with its customs in commercial contracts, along with what the (Civil Transactions Law) imposes in terms of legal provisions and regulations.
For this reason, the (Civil Transactions Law) gains importance for its precise statement of the substantive and detailed provisions of the general theory of obligations, especially in the first part of the law related to the contract as a source of voluntary obligations, and what it entails in achieving the acknowledged pillars of the contract, through the conformity of the offer to the acceptance, the validity of the consent among its parties, in addition to the legality of the subject matter of the contract and the existence of its cause, and their compliance with public morals and public order. For example, if the drafter is about to write an employment contract, they must pay attention to what is stated in the texts of the (Labor Law and its Executive Regulations), while also considering what is mentioned in the (Civil Transactions Law) regarding provisions, and they should measure all of that against their drafted contract to ensure it does not violate general or specific provisions—if they are mandatory—and does not contradict essential pillars that are considered requirements of legal rules. They must also be mindful that their drafting does not include anything that contradicts the provisions of Islamic law. Therefore, excellence in drafting contracts requires a deep understanding of what is stated in civil law primarily.
The legal drafting of contracts is considered a creative and honorable work that seeks to achieve the goals of the (contracting parties) in light of their intentions and what the subject of the contract entails. Dr. Omar Al-Khouli aptly stated in one of his training sessions: "Developing your skills in contract drafting is no different from your beginnings in learning to drive a car, which you could not master until someone sat next to you to guide you and help you improve your skills until you became proficient and could drive alone without a guide. In contractual drafting, it is essential to establish the idea that when presenting the contractual text to the parties of the contract, and each understands the clause differently from the other, then the drafting of the clause must be changed or modified in a way that leads to their unity in interpreting its phrases." He also added a number of cautions that should be avoided in legal drafting to prevent it from being flawed in its meaning and effects, stating: "When the contractual text is not clear in its indication of the intended meaning, or its drafting has an element of ambiguity, or its terms exhibit contradictions, or it is shrouded in clouds of ignorance, or it is laden with possibilities that lead the parties to adopt several varying interpretations, it is a text qualified to be a cause of disagreement and fuel for conflict!"
The drafter of the contract should make it one of their primary thoughts, in the event of a dispute arising (between the contracting parties)—God forbid—to rely on their experience in managing the legal situation to mend the rift between the (contracting parties), such as referring to what occurred during the contract session, and what the indications of the situation and the presumed good intention suggest, while adhering to Islamic law and the applicable regulations and customary practices.
Contract drafting holds a significant position and immense value
Contract drafting occupies a significant position and immense value when used optimally in accordance with the provisions of the applicable laws and regulations. One of the foremost results of the understanding of the (contracting parties) of the terms and conditions of the contract is that it prevents them from resorting to the judiciary, and it is considered a preventive law that preserves the rights of everyone entitled. The art of contract drafting is one of the most precise types of legal drafting, as the vast majority of legal documents derive their essence from (present realities), while contract drafting addresses (present and absent realities) that are anticipated. Hence, the concepts (hypothetical recorded in the contract) require from their drafter a high linguistic ability, extensive legal experience, and a deep understanding of the interests and intentions of the (contracting parties), in addition to the importance of considering the rules of contractual balance and what public order imposes. Therefore, the advice remains for anyone wishing to enter into any contractual obligation: to assign the task of drafting the contract to a skilled and knowledgeable specialist, so that the impact of that results in benefits for all parties concerned with the contract and achieves the means to document their rights and contractual obligations, providing them with serious preventive protection based on a solid legal foundation.
* Legal Researcher


