The legal status of the consignee in the transport of goods by road

ABSTRACT

The consignee is a third party to the transport contract between the carrier and the shipper. Thus, it is not obvious that the consignee can exercise in its own name rights arising out of this contract, and grounds must be found on which a third party to a contract may invoke the clauses of this contract to claim performance of the obligations of the carrier. To this end, this thesis tackles matters of special relevance for the legal status of the consignee. First, the general theory on third-party beneficiary contracts is examined. Second, the transport contract is studied. Last, the rights and obligations that the consignee as a third party to a contract has against the carrier are analysed.