ABSTRACT
The history and origins of the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) have been well documented elsewhere, but it arose from concern at the problems posed by the increasing growth in the international carriage of goods by road after the Second World War. The CMR Convention shares some similarity to the CIM Convention, which was of much earlier origin, and provided a model for the creators of the CMR Convention. The difficulties inherent in the interpretation of international conventions are well illustrated by the fact that in the House of Lords none of their Lordships thought that the French text was, on the facts of the case, of any assistance. In conclusion, therefore, the purposive approach should be seen as a natural part of the process of coming to the correct interpretation of the provision contained in an international convention, which is intended to provide uniform law.
