The Differences Between Void and Voidable Contracts
无效合同与可撤销合同的区别
即使你已经签署了合同，可能你本人和/或另一方并不完全同意你签署的内容。合同成立时，可能存在一些影响其有效性的因素，如虚假陈述或胁迫等情况，这使你可能有机会解除合同。本文将解释无效合同和可撤销合同之间的区别，并探讨相关的重要法律问题。
Even if you have signed a contract, it is possible that you and/or the other party do not fully agree on what you have signed. There may be circumstances that affected the formation of the contract, such as misrepresentation or duress, and as a result, you may be able to get out of the contract. This article will explain the differences between void and voidable contracts, along with important legal considerations.
无效合同和可撤销合同的区别是什么?
What is the Difference Between a Void and Voidable Contract?
你可能听说过“无效”和“可撤销”这两个词。虽然它们看起来是一样的，但无效和可撤销的合同是有区别的。
You may have heard of ‘void’ and ‘voidable’. Although they seem the same, there are differences between void and voidable contracts.
无效（合同）
Void
无效合同是指从一开始就没有法律效力的合同，任何一方都无法要求履行。换句话说，法院会认为这个合同从未存在过。因此，任何一方都不能要求对方履行无效合同中的义务。
A void contract is one that neither party can enforce from the moment it is formed. In other words, a court will treat it as though the parties never created it. Neither party can hold the other to their obligations under a void contract.
可撤销的（合同）
Voidable
另一方面，可撤销的合同意味着存在可能使一方有权终止合同的因素。关键因素包括
On the other hand, a voidable contract means that there are factors that may entitle one party to end the contract. The key factors are:
- 错误mistake
- 对事实的歪曲misrepresentation of facts
- 胁迫;或duress; or
- 不当影响undue influence.
然而，与无效合同不同，你仍然可以强制执行可撤销合同。在可撤销合同出现时，一方可以选择使合同可撤销。在那之前，合同仍然有效并可以强制执行。
However, unlike a void contract, you can still enforce a voidable contract. At the point a voidable instance arises, a party may elect to render the contract voidable. Until then, the contract remains in place and is enforceable.
无效合同:因素
Voidable Contracts: Factors
错误
Mistake
在订立合同时，当事人可能会犯错误。当存在并非由对方造成的误解时，就会犯错误。错误可能是:
There are instances when parties can make mistakes when entering into a contract. Mistakes are made when there is a misunderstanding that is not caused by the other party. The mistake may be:
- 一种常见的情况是双方在合同的某一方面都有误解，比如一方将艺术品卖给另一方，但双方都误以为该艺术品是真品。
common (when both parties are mistaken about the same aspect of the contract) for example, when a party is selling art to the other but both are mistaken about the authenticity of the art;
- 相互错误指的是双方在合同的不同方面都有误解。例如，卖方误认为艺术品是真品，而买方则误解了艺术品的尺寸。
mutual (when both parties are mistaken but about different aspects of the contract); for example, when the party selling the art is mistaken about its authenticity and the party buying the art is mistaken about the size of the art they are purchasing; or
- 单方面错误指的是只有一方对合同的某一方面存在误解，而另一方并没有错误。例如，只有卖方知道艺术品不是真的，而买方对此并不知情。
unilateral (when one of the parties is mistaken about one aspect of the contract but the other party is not) for example, when only the party selling the art is aware that it is not real.
可用的补救措施是解除合同，这意味着你和对方将回到签订合同之前的状态。
The remedy available is rescission which puts you and the other party back to the position that you were in before you entered into the contract.
虚假陈述事实
Misrepresentation of Facts
虚假陈述是指对方通过向你提供不真实的信息或承诺，迫使你基于这些虚假的内容签订合同。例如，如果对方告诉你一套扬声器是全新的，但实际上它们已经使用了五年，这就是一种虚假陈述。
Misrepresentation occurs when the other party persuades you to enter into a contract based on something they said or represented that is untrue. For example, if the other party told you that a set of speakers were brand new but they were actually five years old, this is a misrepresentation.
这种错误陈述可以是故意的，也可以是无意的。如果一方故意或疏忽地做出虚假陈述，就属于欺诈性错误陈述；如果是无意的，则被视为无意错误陈述。针对这种情况，可以采取不同的补救措施，但合同本身是可撤销的，因为它并未反映双方的真实意图。消费者法还专门规定了误导和欺骗行为，并提供了其他补救措施，如赔偿。
This misrepresentation can be intentional or unintentional. If one party intentionally or recklessly makes the misrepresentation, it is called fraudulent misrepresentation. If it is unintentional, it is considered innocent misrepresentation. The remedies available may vary, but the contract is voidable because it does not represent the parties’ true agreement. Consumer law also deals with misleading and deceptive conduct and provides other remedies like compensation.
无签署能力
Lack of Capacity
通常假设所有签订合同的单独一方都具备履行合同的能力。然而，实际情况可能是合同的一方或双方并未完全理解合同的性质和效力，这通常是因为他们缺乏相应的能力。例如，他们可能未成年或患有精神疾病，从而导致无法具备签订合同所需的法律能力。
There is an assumption that all parties entering into a contract have the capacity to do so. However, it may be the case that one or either party to the contract did not entirely understand the nature and effect of the contract, as a result of their lack of capacity. This may be because they are underage or have a mental disorder preventing them from having the right capacity.
不确定性
Uncertainty
合同中可能使用一些模糊不清的语言，导致各方对合同义务不够明确。例如，“协议同意”这样的表述，会让各方的义务或后续步骤变得不确定。
The contract may use language uncertain about each party’s contractual obligations. An example of this is an agreement to agree which creates uncertainty about each party’s obligations or the next steps.
耐心与不当影响
Duress and Undue Influence
胁迫和不当影响的关键在于，你并没有真正自愿同意合同。当另一方试图强行执行合同，而他们通过不正当手段迫使你同意时，就构成了胁迫或不当影响，这种情况可能包括：
The crucial aspect of duress and undue influence is that you have not genuinely consented to the contract. Duress and undue influence occur when the other party wants to enforce the contract but they have illegally obtained consent from you, either due to:
- 威胁;或a threat; or
- 对你施加不当影响，意味着你在做决策时无法独立思考，无法自由地作出选择。exerting influence on you that meant that you could not make an independent decision.
你什么时候想解除合同?
When Would You Want to Void a Contract?
一般来说，如果合同没有真实反映您与对方就上述任何因素达成的协议，您可能希望将合同视为无效。
Generally, you would want to void a contract if it does not reflect the true agreement between you and the other party for any of the abovementioned factors.
然而，如果你签订了一份无效合同，重要的是要知道，除了使其无效之外，你没有其他选择。即使你希望继续履行合同，它依然无法执行。相反，如果是可撤销合同，你可以选择是否继续履行合同。
However, if you have a void contract, it is important to keep in mind that you have no choice but to void it. It is simply not enforceable even if you want to keep the contract going. On the other hand, if you have a voidable contract, you can choose whether to keep the contract going or not.
如果你能够恢复到合同签订前的状态，你可以选择解除合同。然而，法院通常很少认定合同从一开始就是无效的，因为通常很难将双方恢复到合同签订前的原始状态。
If you can be restored to your position before the contract, then you may choose to void the contract. However, it is generally rare for a court to declare that a contract is void from the beginning, mainly because it is often impossible to restore you to your previous position.
法院可能会决定并非整个合同无效，而是只有其中的某些条款无效。例如，当协议中的某些条款被认为是不公平的合同条款时，法院可能会拒绝强制执行这些不公平的条款，但合同的其他部分仍然会尽可能地继续约束双方。
The courts may determine that instead of the entire contract being voided, only specific clauses are void. This can be the case, for example, where certain clauses in an agreement are unfair contract terms. A court may refuse to hold one party to the terms of an unfair provision. However, the rest of the contract will continue to bind the parties to the extent possible.
废除
Rescission
撤销是无效合同的主要补救措施，它意味着解除合同，让双方恢复到合同签订前的状态。如果你有一份可撤销的合同，撤销并不会自动发生，你需要主动选择撤销。使用这种补救措施时，主要的考虑因素是是否能够将你恢复到合同签订前的状态。这有时可能是无法实现的，因为
Rescission is the main remedy for a void contract. It involves reversing the contract so that each party is restored to its original position. If you have a voidable contract, rescission doesn’t happen automatically. You must choose to do so. The main consideration with this remedy is whether it is possible to restore you to your positions before the contract. This may be impossible because:
- 货物可能已经转手；或者goods may have changed hands; or
- 可能有第三方没有签署合同there may have been third parties involved who did not sign the contract.
如果无法恢复原状，你可以根据解除合同的原因寻求其他补救措施。例如，如果合同中的某些条款不公平，澳大利亚消费者法允许宣布这些条款无效，在某些情况下，甚至可能获得赔偿。
If it is not possible, you may seek other remedies depending on the reason for voiding the contract. For example, the Australian Consumer Law enables terms within contracts to be declared void if they are unfair and in some instances, compensation may be available.
关键要点
Key Takeaways
如果你准备签订合同或打算终止一份合同，了解无效合同和可撤销合同的区别非常重要。如果合同没有反映双方的真实意图，你可能希望将其视为无效。这种情况可能发生在以下几种情形：
If you are preparing to enter into a contract or would like to end a contract, it is important to be aware of the difference between a void and voidable contract. You may wish to void a contract if it does not represent a true agreement. This may arise where the following a present:
- 错误mistake;
- 虚假陈述Misrepresentation;
- 能力不足Lack of capacity
- 不确定性uncertainty
- 胁迫;以及duress; and
- 不道德的行为unconscionable conduct.
如果您需要律师帮助审核合同或评估终止合同，您可以联系问我们专业的合同律师。
If you need a lawyer to review your contract or assess your options to end your contract, you can contact contract lawyers.
常见问题
Frequently Asked Questions
什么是无效合同?
What is a void contract？
无效合同是指无法执行的合同。通常，指的是在双方达成协议的那一刻起就已经在法律上无效的合同。如果某些因素出现，使得一方有权终止合同，那么原本可以执行的合同也可能变得无效。这些因素被称为可撤销事由。
A void contract is one that is not enforceable. Typically, void contracts refer to contracts that are legally illegitimate from the moment the parties make the agreement. A previously enforceable contract may become void if certain factors entitles one of the parties to terminate the contract. These factors are referred to as voidable events.
什么是可撤销合同?
What is a voidable contract?
可撤销合同是指在法律上有效且可执行的合同，但在某些条件下，一方有权终止协议。然而，在该方决定行使这一权利之前，合同仍然具有法律效力。
A voidable contract is one that is legally enforceable but under which certain conditions have arisen that entitle one party to terminate the agreement. However, until this party elects to do so, the contract remains enforceable.
