The liability of carrier for acts and omissions of others in the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR)

One of the most important issues about carrier responsibility in international carriage of goods by road, is his responsibility for acts and omissions of his servants and agents that is considered in article 3 of CMR convention. According to Iran's accession to this convention in 1997, study the base, nature and scope of the liability of carrier for acts and omissions of others in the CMR convention, is important. Therefore this article by describe and analyze the theories about the basis and nature of carrier responsibility for act and omission of others, concludes that this responsibility on the one hand is a no-fault liability that is presumed by convention and on the other hand is a contractual liability. Drawing the thematic and personal scope of this liability is also considered in this article and it is determined according to the legal subordination and the term of “scope of employment” in the article 3 of CMR convention. However, due to the being limited the cases of carrier's exemption from liability, only get out of the mentioned thematic and personal scope, does not result the removal of liability from the carrier, but this is subject to the existence at least one of the cases of exemption from liability, which is mentioned in the article 17.