Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Special law of contracts'

Thesis (LLM)--University of Stellenbosch, 2002.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This dissertation examines the conclusion of contracts on the Internet in English and South African law on the one hand, and German law on the other. Because these legal systems have not developed specific rules for the formation of contracts by way of this medium of communication, the question is whether the traditional doctrines are adequate to the demands of tecnological innovation. The study accordingly proceeds from a detailed discussion of the traditional rules of offer and acceptance developed in each of the systems. To this end, the leading cases and of English and South African law are considered with an emphasis on the points of difference between the approach of the courts in these systems. Where there is uncertainty or different points of view, regard is had to the critical points of view of English and South African commentators. In respect of the codified German civil law, the authoritative provisions of the general part of the civil code are discussed against the background of the commentary of academic authors. An investigation of the technical structure of the Internet and the various methods of communication afforded by it, provides a foundation for an examination of the application of the general principles of the various legal systems to contract formation on the Internet. It is concluded that despite fundamental differences in the of approach of the systems under consideration, the general principles of each system are capable of application in the context of electronic contracting. The dissertation endeavours to develop proposals regarding adequate solutions to the problems typical of the process of contract formation on the Internet.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis is afgestem op die hantering van kontraksluiting op die Internet in die Engelse en Suid-Afrikaanse Reg aan die een kant, en die Duitse Reg aan die ander kant. Omrede geeneen van hierdie stelsels tot op hede spesifieke maatreëls daargestel het vir kontraksluiting deur middel van hierdie kommunikasiemiddel nie, is die vraag of tradisionele beginsels afdoende is met die oog op eise van die nuwe tegnologie. Die ondersoek gaan derhalwe uit van 'n behandeling van die tradisionele reëls van aanbod en aanname soos wat dit in elkeen van die stelsels ontwikkel het. Met die oog hierop, word sleutelvonnisse van die Engelse en Suid-Afrikaanse reg ontleed, veral dan ook met klem op verskille in die benadering van die howe in hierdie twee stelsels. In geval van onsekerheid en verskille van mening, word verwys na die kritiese standpunte van Engelse en Suid-Afrikaanse kommentatore. Met verwysing na die gekodifiseerde Duitse stelsel word die gesaghebbende bepalings van die Burgerlike Wetboek behandel teen die agtergrond van die kommentaar van Duitse akademiese skrywers. 'n Ontleding van die tegniese struktuur van die Internet en die verskillende kommunikasiemetodes wat dit bied, verskaf die grondslag vir 'n ondersoek na die toepaslikheid van die algemene beginsels aangaande kontraksluiting van die onderskeie regstelsels in die konteks van elektroniese kontraktering. Die gevolgtrekking is dat ten spyte van fundamentele verskille in benadering, die algemene beginsels van die verkillende stelsels wel aanwendbaar is in die nuwe omgewing. Die verhandeling poog om 'n bydrae te lewer tot die ontwikkeling van aanvaarbare oplossings tot die probleme wat tipies is aan kontraksluiting deur middel van die Internet.

La question des rapports entretenus entre le contrat de travail et le droit commun évoque immédiatement la revendication autonomiste. Il ne s’agit pourtant pas de revendiquer mais de mesurer la propension à l’autonomie du droit du travail à l’égard du droit commun des contrats maintes fois questionnée et toujours renouvelée. Précisément, cet essai de mesure révèle un résultat profondément nuancé. Ainsi, l’autonomie ne saurait être absolument reconnue en raison des nombreuses manifestations de la soumission du contrat de travail au droit commun. Elle ne peut cependant pas être totalement contredite en raison de l’indéniable émancipation de celui-ci envers celui-là. Pour comprendre cette apparente contradiction, il convient de diviser la matière. L’approche ne peut être globale et l’étude doit porter sur des objets distincts. Le régime du contrat de travail oscille en effet entre deux pôles : autonomie et dépendance. Relativement à certaines questions, l’émancipation à l’égard du droit commun est quasi-totale. Relativement à d’autres, la soumission est de mise. Plus encore, le résultat de ces recherches conduit à affirmer que l’autonomie et la dépendance ne constituent pas deux domaines étanches délimités par une frontière nette. Ainsi, la dépendance doit être reconnue lorsque le droit commun est préservé ; l’autonomie apparaît déjà, cependant, dès lors que le droit commun est adapté. Elle est plus intense encore lorsque le droit commun est déformé, et atteint son ultime degré lorsque le droit commun est évincé. Se constate ainsi une sorte de continuum qui s’étend entre ces deux pôles – dépendance et autonomie – et sur lequel s’ordonnent les questions relatives au contrat de travail. Ainsi, lorsqu’on mesure les rapports entre le contrat de travail et le droit commun des contrats, tout est affaire de degrés, de proximité et d’éloignement corrélatif à l’égard de ces deux extrémités du spectre
When wondering about the relationship between employment contract and general law, autonomist claim is usually immediately brought up. Yet, the point is not to claim, but to define the propensity to autonomy of labor law in regard of general contract law, many times asked, and always renewed. Precisely, this measurement essay reveals deeply nuanced results. Thus autonomy could not be definitely accepted due to many manifestations of the subservience of employment contract to general law. However it cannot be totally contradicted because of the incontestable emancipation of the employment contract from the general law. To understand this apparent contradiction, the subject must be divided. The approach cannot be global and the study must deal with distinct subjects. The employment contract system is indeed oscillating between two poles: autonomy and dependence. Emancipation towards general law is almost complete when considering some questions. Concerning some other questions, subservience can only be noted. Moreover, the results of this research are leading to affirm that autonomy and dependence are not two distinct areas, separated by a hermetic border. Hence, dependence must be admitted when general law is preserved, though autonomy already appears when general law is appropriate. It is more intense when general law is distorted, and reaches its ultimate degree when general law is ousted. A kind of continuum is observed between these two poles – subservience and autonomy – on which questions about employment contract are organized. Consequently, when measuring the relationship between employment contract and general contract law, everything is a matter of degrees, proximity and distance correlative to these two extremities of the spectrum

La notion d’environnement embrasse le « cadre de vie naturel et artificiel de l’homme ». La qualité de cet environnement revêt aujourd’hui, dans l’ordre juridique, une importance croissante. Le droit de l’environnement, dont les finalités sont la protection de l’environnement et la protection de la personne humaine, investit à présent le droit privé. Le contrat, acte juridique indispensable aux activités économiques, en particulier, semble significativement concerné par l’exigence de qualité de l’environnement. Dans ce contexte, quel est le rôle du contrat face aux préoccupations contemporaines grandissantes relatives à la qualité de l’environnement ? Il apparaît que l’environnement est appréhendé par le contrat comme une donnée ambivalente. Elle représente, en effet, d’une part, un risque contre lequel il est nécessaire de protéger le contractant et, d’autre part, une valeur qui peut être directement protégée par le contrat. Les deux finalités du droit de l’environnement sont actuellement renforcées par le droit des contrats qui les prend de mieux en mieux en compte. Le contrat est dès lors assurément façonné, tant par les parties elles-mêmes que par le juge et le législateur, pour protéger le contractant contre le risque environnemental et contribuer à la protection de la valeur environnementale
The notion of environment embraces the “natural and artificial living environment of man” which means “the living space” of the human being. Today the quality of this environment takes on an increasing importance in the legal order. Environmental law, which follows the purposes of environmental protection and protection of the human being, is now investing private law. In particular, contract law seems significantly affected by the level of requirement of environmental quality. In this context, what is the role of a contract in front of growing contemporary concerns regarding environmental quality ? It seems that the environment is comprehended by the contract as an ambivalent element. On the one hand it is indeed a risk against which it is necessary to protect the contracting party and, on the other hand, a value that can be directly protected by the contract. The contract is subsequently without doubt shaped by the parties themselves, as well as by the judge and the legislator to protect the contracting party against environmental risks and to contribute to environmental protection

Les contrats conclus par l'agriculteur pour la satisfaction de ses besoins professionnels forment une famille de contrats : tous ont part à l'action publique en agriculture. Leur identité commune est méthodologique. Le contrat est un instrument de la politique agricole pour protéger l'agriculteur ou diriger l'agriculture. Le droit spécial des contrats agricoles permet la pénétration dans l'acte juridique du système de valeurs choisi par l'état. L'ordre public contractuel en agriculture se manifeste aussi par une action de police du contrat, à laquelle sont associés les professionnels. Mais le contrat n'est pas seulement un objet de l'action publique en agriculture : il est aussi une de ses modalités. La contractualisation se manifeste par une production concertée, avec l'état ou entre professionnels, de la norme juridique. Elle se manifeste aussi par la recherche du consentement à la norme, spécialement environnementale. Le discours contractuel justifie l'action publique en agriculture. Le contrat agro-environnemental permet la rémunération publique d'une prestation écologique ou territoriale fournie par l'agriculteur. Cette thèse met au jour un changement profond de paradigme dans la politique agricole. Alors que le droit de l'exploitation est, pour partie, absorbé par celui de l'entreprise, un corpus juridique original apparaît qui procède de la nouvelle identité multifonctionnelle reconnue à l'activité agricole. Cette thèse révèle aussi le glissement méthodologique qui s'opère de la norme contractuelle privée contrainte par la norme publique vers la norme publique produite par le contrat
Contracts concluded by the farmer for the satisfaction of its professional needs form a family of contracts : all have part in the public action in agriculture. Their common identity is methodological. The contract is a legal instrument of the agricultural policy. All its utilities are mobilized for protecting the farmer or managing the agriculture. The special law of the agricultural contracts allows the penetration in the legal act of the value system chosen by the State. The contractual public order in agriculture also shows itself by an action of police of the contract. The contract in agriculture is not only an object of the public action : it is also one of its modalities. The contractualization shows itself at first by a joint production of the legal rule, with the State or between professionals. It shows itself then by the research for the consent in the standard, specially environmental. The contractual speech justifies the public action in agriculture. The agro-environmental contract allows the public remuneration for an ecological or territorial performance supplied by the farmer. This thesis brings to light a deep change of paradigm in the agricultural policy. While the law of the exploitation is absorbed, partly, by that of the company, an original legal corpus appears which proceeds of the new multifunctional identity recognized by the agricultural activity. This thesis also reveals the methodological sliding which takes place of the private contractual law forced by the public law towards the public law produced by contract

Alors que le droit interne des contrats est marqué par le recul de l'autonomie de la volonté, le droit international privé fait du principe d'autonomie le facteur de rattachement principal en matière contractuelle. Parallèlement à cette évolution inversée, une évolution commune intervient en droit interne et international privé des contrats : celle de son ouverture aux tiers, par la portée des droits qu'il crée et la multiplication des liens de droit entre les tiers et les parties. Cohérent avec le recul de l'autonomie de la volonté en droit interne, le rapprochement du tiers et du contrat se heurte à la solution du conflit de lois en matière contractuelle. Alors que le principe d'autonomie sert l'intérêt des parties, le respect des prévisions du tiers appelle une loi objectivement déterminée. La prise en considération de l'objet et de l'opposabilité des contrats permet la prise en considération nuancée des intérêts des tiers et leur conciliation avec ceux des parties. Dans le cas des contrats à opposabilité renforcée, contrats à grand rayon d'action, la prise en considération du tiers passe par la création d'une règle de conflit spéciale en matière contractuelle qui rend le facteur de rattachement objectif impératif. Les parties aux contrats à grand rayon d'action ne peuvent choisir la loi applicable à leur contrat. Dans le cas des contrats à opposabilité simple, contrats à petit rayon d'action, la protection du tiers, touché par l'extension des effets du contrat, ne passe pas par l'objectivation du facteur de rattachement, mais par la qualification des questions ou la mise en œuvre de mécanismes dérogatoires comme l'adaptation ou les lois de police
While Substantial Contract Law is characterized by the decline of party autonomy, Private International Law makes it the main conflict rule in the field of Contract. Besides this reversed evolution, a similar trend is shaping Substantial Contract Law and Private International Law of Contract : the contract incorporates third parties, both through the rights it creates as well as through the increase in ties between parties and third parties. Coherent with the scaling down of party autonomy in Contract law, the connection between the third party and the contract goes against the conflict rule in the field of contracts. Although party autonomy serves parties interests, third parties expectations require an objectively determined law. To heed the object and the opposability of contracts allows for a well-balanced consideration of third parties interests in accordance with parties interests. Regarding contracts with reinforced opposability, ("long-range contracts"), the third party is taken into account by the creation of a special conflict rule in the field of contracts, that prevents parties from choosing their law. Party autonomy vanishes for these contracts. In case of simple opposability, ("short-range contracts"), the third party may be reached by the extension of contract effects. Its expectations cannot be protected by the elimination of party autonomy but either by the qualification of questions or by exceptional mechanisms such as overriding mandatory rules

La bonne foi, notion floue teintée de morale et issue du droit commun, a vocation à intervenir dans toutes les branches du droit. A ce titre, elle trouve naturellement à s’appliquer en droit d’auteur, c’est-à-dire au sein du droit qui organise la protection des rapports entre l’auteur et l’œuvre de l’esprit qu’il a créée, en reconnaissant à ce dernier des droits patrimoniaux et des droits extrapatrimoniaux. Notion duale, la bonne foi s’entend tantôt comme la croyance erronée dans une situation – c’est là la dimension subjective –, tantôt comme l’exigence de loyauté dans le comportement, ce qui renvoie à la dimension objective. Le choix est opéré, au sein de la présente étude, d’embrasser la notion dans sa globalité et non de se concentrer sur l’une ou l’autre des faces de la bonne foi. L’enjeu de la thèse étant d’analyser comment une notion de droit commun peut intervenir au sein d’un droit spécial, il semblait en effet judicieux de ne pas décomposer la notion mais au contraire d’accepter sa polymorphie. La difficulté tient au fait que la bonne foi – dans sa dimension subjective comme dans sa dimension objective – est bien souvent absente de la norme du droit d’auteur, de sorte qu’une première analyse pourrait laisser penser que la notion n’a pas de rôle à jouer en ce domaine. Cependant, il apparaît finalement que cette dernière est bien présente au sein de ce droit spécial, que son intervention soit d’ailleurs positive – auquel cas la notion est prise en compte et reconnue – ou, au contraire, négative (ce qui revient alors à l’exclure volontairement des solutions). Les manifestations de la bonne foi se présentent, en ce domaine, sous deux formes. D’une part, elles peuvent être propres au droit d’auteur : la notion intervient ainsi dans les raisonnements relatifs à la détermination du monopole, droit exclusif reconnu au titulaire de droits, mais également dans les règles applicables à la sanction des atteintes portées à ce droit exclusif. L’utilisation de la notion procède alors d’un choix du juge ou, plus rarement, du législateur et répond à un objectif interne au droit spécial, objectif qui sera bien souvent celui de la défense de l’auteur ou, plus largement, du titulaire de droits. D’autre part, les manifestations de la bonne foi peuvent être importées du droit commun. Si le lieu d’intervention privilégié de la notion en telle hypothèse est le contrat d’auteur (c’est-à-dire le contrat qui organise l’exploitation de l’œuvre) du fait de l’applicabilité de l’article 1134, alinéa 3, du Code civil – lequel impose une obligation de bonne foi dans l’exécution du contrat – aux droits spéciaux, la bonne foi peut aussi s’épanouir au-delà de ce contrat. Le recours à la notion est, dans ce cas, imposé au juge et au législateur spéciaux – lesquels doivent naturellement tenir compte de la norme générale dès lors que celle-ci n’est pas en contradiction avec le texte spécial – et l’objectif poursuivi est alors externe au droit d’auteur : il peut ainsi être question de protéger l’équilibre des relations ou encore de garantir la sécurité juridique des rapports. Plurielles, les interventions de la bonne foi en droit d’auteur invitent ainsi à s’interroger sur les interférences entre droit commun et droit spécial
Good faith, vague notion which refers to morality and that is derived from common law, can occur in all branches of law. As such, it is naturally applicable in French copyright law, which is the special law that provides the protection of the relationship between the author and the work that he created and that recognizes moral rights and economic rights in favour of the author. Good faith has a double definition: it means both a misbelief in a situation – that is the subjective dimension – and a requirement of loyalty, which refers to its objective dimension. The choice has been made, in this study, to embrace the whole concept instead of focusing on one or the other side of good faith. Because the aim of this thesis is to analyze how a concept of common law can intervene in a special law, it seemed wise to accept its polymorphism instead of deconstructing the concept. The difficulty is that good faith – in its objective dimension as in its subjective dimension – is often absent from the special law: as a consequence, a first analysis might suggest that this concept has no role to play in this area. However, it finally appears that the notion does exist in French copyright law, whether its intervention is positive (and in that case good faith is taken into account and recognized) or negative (in which case the concept is deliberately excluded from the solutions). The expressions of good faith arise in two forms in this field. On one hand, they may be specific to French copyright law: the concept can be used to answer the questions related to the determination of the exclusive right that is granted to the holder of rights, or the questions related to the penalties for copyright infringement. In these hypotheses, the use of good faith is a choice made by the judge or, more rarely, by the legislator and it fulfills a specific objective, proper to French copyright law: this objective is often the defense of the author or, on a wider scale, the right holder. On the other hand, the expressions of good faith can be imported from common law. If the privileged place of intervention in that case is the author’s contract (which is the contract that organizes the exploitation of the work), due to the applicability of the article 1134, paragraph 3, of the French Civil code – which imposes a duty of good faith during the performance of the contract –, good faith also has a part to play beyond this contract. In these cases, the use of the concept is imposed to the judge and the legislator – because both must take into account the general rule when it is not in contradiction with the special one – and the aim is to fulfill a general objective, external to French copyright law: then the goal is to protect the balance of relationships or to guarantee legal certainty. As a consequence, the expressions of good faith in French copyright law are plural and call for questioning the interference between common law and special law

Le mandat de protection future est une mesure conventionnelle qui organise à l’avance la protection des intérêts patrimoniaux et/ou personnels d’une personne, pour le jour où elle ne sera plus apte à pourvoir seule à ses intérêts à la suite d’une altération de ses facultés personnelles. Celle-ci s’inscrit dans un mouvement de contractualisation du droit des personnes et de la famille, faisant ainsi primer la volonté individuelle. Le mandat de protection future est une innovation en droit français qui renverse les modes de pensées traditionnelles. La mesure de protection peut désormais être négociée par les parties qui fixent leur propre loi. La personne est associée à sa protection. Même s’il s’agit d’une institution souvent discutée tant sur le plan de la protection que sur la technique employée pour y parvenir (le contrat), cette mesure ne cesse de s’améliorer depuis sa création et le recours à l’utilisation lente mais progressive de celle-ci augmente au fil des années. Le temps sera un facteur déterminant pour apprécier les richesses de ce nouvel outil sur la scène juridique
The mandate of future protection is a conventional measure that organizes in advance the protection of patrimonial interests and/ or someone’s personal interests, for the day this person won’t be able to take care about herself following an alteration of her own abilities. The latter is recorded through a movement of contractualisation of the right of people and of the family prevailing individual will. The mandate of future protection is an innovation in French law that debunks traditional ideas. Nowadays, the measure of protection can be negotiated by the parts that instaure their own law. The person is associated to her own protection. Even if it is an institution often debated from a protective point of view as well as on the technique used to make it (the contract), this very measure is in a constant evolution since it was created and the slow but progressive use of it is becoming more important through the years. Time will be a determining factor to appreciate this new tool on the legal scene

Distinction between public and private law is deeply rooted in Lithuania, as a continental law country, and is often treated as a basis for segregation of regulatory measures and methods. The doctoral thesis analyses specific regulation measure: regulatory contract in public law. It contains both private and public law elements: contract, as a way of regulation, and public law, as the area of regulation. Such transfer of contract, a traditional private law instrument, into public law causes various problems and dilemmas. These problematic application areas are the key target of the analysis. Paper shows that the difference between public and private law may not be treated as sufficient reason for declining contract usage for regulatory purposes in public law. It also explains the impact on public law principles of publicity and equality caused by specifics of the contract. Major part of the paper is dedicated to the analysis of freedom of contract and its application to regulatory contracts in public law. Analysis shows that despite the imperative nature of the public law, freedom of contract is not only possible but also one of the most essential requirements for conclusion of contracts in public law area. All identified specifics have their impact on regulation modification possibilities and judicial review procedure: contractual aspect makes regulation amendments more complicated and also gives wider possibilities for challenging the established regulation.
Skirtumas tarp viešosios ir privatinės teisės Lietuvoje, kaip kontinentinės teisės valstybėje, yra giliai įsišaknijęs. Dažnai jis yra traktuojamas kaip priemonių ir metodų atskyrimo pagrindas. Disertacijoje analizuojama specifinė reguliavimo priemonė – reguliacinės sutartys viešojoje teisėje. Ši priemonė apima tiek privatinės, tiek viešosios teisės elementus: sutartį, kaip reguliavimo būdą, ir viešąją teisę, kaip reguliavimo sritį. Toks tradicinės privatinės teisės priemonės – sutarties – integravimas į viešąją teisę sukelia įvairias problemas ir klausimus. Būtent šie probleminiai klausimai yra analizuojami tyrime. Tyrimas parodo, kad skirtumas tarp viešosios ir privatinės teisės negali būti laikomas pakankama priežastimi atmesti sutarties panaudojimo viešojoje teisėje galimybes, ir atskleidžia sutarties specifikos poveikį viešosios teisės viešumo ir lygybės principams. Didžiausia tyrimo dalis yra skirta sutarties laisvės įtakos reguliacinėms sutartims viešojoje teisėje analizei. Nepaisant imperatyvaus viešosios teisės pobūdžio, sutarties laisvė yra ne tik įmanoma, bet ir yra vienas iš svarbiausių reikalavimų sudarant sutartis viešojoje teisėje. Visi tyrime nustatyti reguliacinių sutarčių viešojoje teisėje ypatumai daro įtaką jomis nustatyto reguliavimo taikymui, keitimo galimybėms ir teisminės peržiūros tvarkai: sutartinis reguliavimo pobūdis apsunkina nustatyto reguliavimo keitimą bei suteikia platesnes galimybes jo ginčijimui.

Smart contracts allow for automated compliance with contractual rules. They derive their “smartness” from an execution software that catches the most typical defaults and responds by mechanically triggering a compensation payment or another prearranged consequence. Through this self-enforcement mode, smart contracts are able to save time and effort that is associated with more customary rights enforcement mechanisms. Now, whereas compliance with in-house rules or corporate governance standards is common today, compliance with contract law only occurs on a voluntary basis. This might, however, change if businesses should be obliged to automatically meet customer claims through smart contracts. On the basis of a sample case, this article examines the pros and cons of smart consumer contracts and carves out the most suitable applications of smart contracts as a means to ensure private law compliance.

The changes to the British Columbia Municipal Act repealing land use contracts in 1978 by Bill 42, and the subsequent amendments leading up to Bill 62 in 1985 and Bill 30 in 1987 have been both dramatic and comprehensive in their effect on land development and the approval process. Since the repealing of land use contracts and in spite of the new amendments, B.C. planning legislation has been increasingly criticized among developers, planners, and local governments for the lack of development agreement provisions and adequate flexibility in the municipal approval process. This thesis investigates the possibility of reintroducing land use contracts as a development agreement control in the context of current planning practices. A literature review of the evolution of municipal planning control in B.C. is conducted to provide background information for a theoretical and practical evaluation of the current system of controls in comparison to the former system of land use contracts. The theoretical evaluation is based on measuring both systems against normative criteria, whereas the practical evaluation is comprised of a local government/development industry survey and several case studies. The following conclusions are made in this research: - Land use contracts were introduced in response to a growing need among local governments for some legitimate legislative means of entering into development agreements with developers to require developers to assist in providing the municipal services associated with their development. - Local government support for the land use contract was based on the ability to regulate design, ensure regulation performance, and to enter into off-site servicing and amenity agreements. - The development industry was initially supportive of land use contracts because they offered unlimited flexibility during negotiations and the certainty of a legal contract immune to future zoning changes. Developers eventually withdrew their support for land use contracts complaining of large scale downzoning, lengthy approval delays and excessive impost fees. Many of these allegations are dispelled in this research, but the real weakness of the land use contract was that it was difficult to amend and could be used extensively to replace zoning, effectively "fettering" future council's planning powers. - In the absence of the land use contract, many municipal governments are continuing with a land use contract practice, but without a legislative or in some instances legal basis. - The theoretical analysis, survey and case studies determine that the current planning legislation is adequate for the most part. There is a need however, for a land use contract mechanism to accommodate mixed use, comprehensive or complicated developments. This type of control was determined to be superior in accommodating these types of projects to the current approach of using a variety of planning mechanisms. Generally there is support among local governments and the development industry in B.C. for new land use contract legislation as long as it is more clearly defined to avoid the mistakes of its use in the 1970's. On the basis of this analysis, the study recommends that land use contract reintroduced but in a much more controlled and limited way.
Applied Science, Faculty of
Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of
Graduate

The choice of law dilemma for international contracts is the subject of this thesis. In Part A the concept of party autonomy is discussed and the traditional English approach considered. This involves a critical examination of the proper law doctrine. Part B considers the 'American Solution' with particular reference to the State of New York. Interest Analysis, New York legislation and common law are discussed. A criticism of the New York approach concludes this section. In Part C the limitations on party autonomy are considered in both the English and New York setting. In Part D four alternative proposals are canvassed. The lex loci contractus and the lex loci solutionis (the law of the place of contracting and the law of the place of performance) are briefly considered in an historical setting. These two theories contrast with the lex validatis (the law which validates) which an academic suggestion. Finally the European Convention on the Law Applicable to Contractual Obligations (1980) is chosen as a legislative proposal to resolve the choice of law dilemma for international contracts. Its provisions are stated and discussed. Parts A to D demonstrate that law to govern international contracts on both sides of the Atlantic is unsatisfactory. To date New Zealand has followed the English proper law doctrine. However it is submitted that the time for change has arrived. It is argued that New Zealand needs a law which advances conflict of laws goals, avoids present difficulties and which is in harmony with domestic contract law. Thus Part E considers such goals and the domestic and conflict of laws provisions of recent national contractual legislation. A legislative solution is then proposed and it is argued that if the proposals were adopted New Zealand would have gone a long way towards resolving choice of law issues for international contracts.

Il a été longuement discuté de savoir si le système d'arbitrage est applicable pour régler les litiges administratifs qui concernent certains contrats administratifs ou d’autres sans rapport avec le contrat administratif. Dans cette thèse, les trois questions spécifiques sont analysées tour à tour : (1) Est-il possible pour un arbitre ou un tribunal arbitral de trancher des questions relevant du droit administratif? (2) Y a-t-il, ou devrait-il y avoir, des limitations à l'autorité des arbitres et des tribunaux arbitraux? (3) Enfin, après la délivrance d'une sentence arbitrale, quel rôle devrait jouer l'État dans la phase de contrôle judiciaire? La première question concerne l'arbitrabilité et a été discutée dans la première partie (FIRST PART: ARBITRABILITY). La deuxième question a été discutée dans la deuxième partie (SECOND PART: PARTICULAR QUESTIONS OF ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS IN ARBITRATION PROCEDURE). Enfin, sur la dernière question a fait l’objet d’une troisième partie (THIRD PART: JUDICIAL REVIEW AND EXECUTION OF ARBITRATION AWARD). Dans cette thèse, nous avons comparé les systèmes de quatre pays (Canada, Chine, France, Taïwan). En conclusion, nous pouvons donc conclure que l’évolution de la conception du contrat administratif implique de nombreux aspects, y compris les aspects juridiques, économiques, politiques et même culturels. Le développement de la fonction de contentieux administratif, comme ‘’subjectivement orienté" ou "objectivement orienté" aura une incidence sur l'acceptation de l'arbitrage en matière administrative. Dans l'ensemble, l'arbitrage sera plus acceptable dans les systèmes dont la fonction est plus ‘’subjectivement orientée" que dans ceux dont la fonction est "objectivement orientée"
While arbitration has traditionally been considered as a means to resolve private disputes, its role in disputes involving administrative contracts is a crucial question in administrative law. In brief, the three specific questions are (1) Can arbitrators or arbitral tribunals decide issues involving administrative law? and (2) Is there, or should there be, any limitation on the authority of arbitrators or arbitral tribunals? (3) Moreover, after the issue of an arbitration award, what role should the State play in the judicial review phase? The first question, the issue of arbitrability, is discussed in part 1 (FIRST PART: ARBITRABILITY). The second question will be discussed in part2 (SECOND PART: PARTICULAR QUESTIONS OF ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS IN ARBITRATION PROCEDURE). Finally, on the question of what happens after the arbitration award, we will discuss judicial review in part 3 (THIRD PART: JUDICIAL REVIEW AND EXECUTION OF ARBITRATION AWARD). We compare legal systems between the four countries: in France, in Canada, in China and in Taiwan. We believe that an administrative contract, at least in its function and conception, is gradually becoming different from a private contract. Innovation with respect to administrative contracts will also reflect the concentration and function of the administrative litigation systems in each country. In addition, the “objective” or “subjective” function of administrative litigation will also affect the degree of arbitrability, as well as arbitration procedures. Taken together, arbitration will be more acceptable in systems whose function is more “subjectively oriented” than in those whose function is “objectively oriented". Finally, “the arbitration of administrative matters” traditionally has been an important question in administrative and arbitration law. In the future, we will continue to see it shine in the doctrine and jurisprudence of both the administrative and arbitration law fields

Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The various constructions of rights of pre-emption encountered in South African case law all have some merit. This is confirmed by the multiplicity of types of preference contracts encountered in German law especially. The tendency of South African courts and writers to portray one approach as the only correct one to the exclusion of all other views, results in tension and confusion, all the more because of the failure to investigate the relevant policy considerations comprehensively. The confusion is compounded by what amounts to a breakdown of the system of precedents with judgments being based on incorrect interpretations of previous decisions and with scant regard for contrary decisions. No certainty exists regarding the construction of the contractual right of pre-emption in Roman and Roman-Dutch law, nor is it clear what figure or figures were received into South African law. The Germanic concept of tiered ownership that forms the historical basis for the Oryx remedy, does not form part of our law. This accounts for the difficulty that courts and writers have in explaining this remedy in terms of Romanist terminology, and the resort to the language of fiction. German law and English law, relied upon in South African case law, do not support a uniform construction of all rights of pre-emption as creating an enforceable duty to make an offer upon manifestation of a desire to sell. The almost unanimous support of US courts for a remedy by which the holder can ultimately obtain performance of the main contract upon conclusion of a contract with a third party, challenges the hypothesis suggested by German law that the default construction of preference contracts should be the bare preference contract which only creates a negative obligation. The very cryptic way in which rights of pre-emption are normally drafted, makes it difficult to even identify the main purpose of the parties. It is therefore not easy to classify preference contracts into the different types identified in this study as notional possibilities. A default regime is therefore highly desirable in the interest of legal certainty. The choice of a default regime should be made on the basis of recognised policy considerations, particularly on the basis of an equitable balancing of typical parties' interests and in view of communal interests balanced against the demand for legal certainty. The choice of default regime cannot be based merely on historical authority or precedent (which is in any event unclear in the present context) or unsubstantiated claims that one model is more logical or commercially useful than another. When rules are chosen as the default regime, these rules must, as far as possible, be reconciled with the existing conceptual structure of our law to prevent contradictions and inconsistencies. A policy analysis reveals that three default types of preference contract should be recognised, each with a clearly delineated field of application. Firstly, where the agreement allows the grantor to contract with a third party, the holder has the right to contract with the grantor at the terms agreed with the third party. Such a preference contract can therefore be regarded as an option conditional upon conclusion of a contract with a third party. Such contracts are rare in South Africa. In other cases, the default rule should be that the grantor must first give the holder an opportunity to contract before he contracts with a third party. The default construction of this latter type of preference contracts depends on whether the preference contract itself predetermines the main contract price. If so, the holder has a right or option to contract at that price upon any manifestation of a desire to conclude the relevant type of contract. However, where the preference contract does not predetermine the price, or refers to a price that the grantor would accept from third parties, any manifestation of a desire to sell should not be sufficient to trigger the holder's right. The grantor and society have an interest in having her freedom to negotiate with third parties to obtain the best possible price curtailed as little as possible. In such cases, the default rule should be that the holder is only entitled to conclusion of the main contract upon breach in the form of a contract with or offer to a third party. The default rule should also be that such preference contracts - which will be treated as ordinary preference contracts - only terminate upon the grantor actually contracting with and performing to a third party within a reasonable time after the holder declined the opportunity to match those terms, and provided the identity of the third party was disclosed to the holder on request. The holder therefore cannot lose his preferential right by a rejection of an outrageously high offer by the grantor. Options and preference contracts are closely related and overlapping concepts. The type of preference contract that grants a conditional right to contract can often be understood as a conditional option (or at least as a conditional option subject to a resolutive condition that the grantor does not want to contract anymore). The traditional distinction between options and rights of first refusal can only be maintained in respect of some types of preference contracts. These are negative or bare preference contracts which only give rise to remedies aimed at restoring the status quo ante the breach, as well as those preference contracts creating conditional rights to contract which courts refuse to treat as conditional options because their wording implies a duty to make or accept an offer, or because the requirement of certainty precludes them from being options.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die verskillende konstruksies van voorkoopsregte aanvaar III Suid-Afrikaanse beslissings het almal meriete. Dit word bevestig deur die verskillende tipes voorkoopskontrakte wat veral in die Duitse reg erken word. Die neiging van Suid- Afrikaanse howe en skrywers om een benadering as die enigste korrekte een te tipeer veroorsaak spanning en onsekerheid, des te meer weens die versuim om die relevante beleidsoorwegings deeglik te ondersoek. Boonop is die presedentestelsel telkens verontagsaam deur verkeerde interpretasies van vorige uitsprake en deurdat teenstrydige uitsprake bloot geïgnoreer is. Geen sekerheid bestaan oor die konstruksie van die kontraktuele voorkoopsreg in die Romeinse of Romeins-Hollandse Reg nie. Dit is ook nie duidelik watter figuur of figure in die Suid-Afrikaanse reg geresipieer is nie. Die Germaanse konsep van gesplitste eiendomsreg wat die historiese basis van die Oryx-meganisme daarstel, vorm nie deel van ons reg nie. Dit verduidelik hoekom howe en skrywers sukkel om dié remedie te verduidelik aan die hand van Romanistiese verbintenisreg-terminologie, en die gevolglike gebruikmaking van fiksie-taal. Die Duitse en Engelse reg waarop gesteun is in Suid-Afrikaanse regspraak, steun nie 'n uniforme konstruksie van alle voorkoopsregte as behelsende 'n afdwingbare plig om 'n aanbod te maak by enige manifestasie van 'n begeerte om te verkoop nie. Die byna eenparige steun van Noord-Amerikaanse howe vir 'n remedie waarmee die voorkoopsreghouer uiteindelik prestasie van die substantiewe kontrak kan kry by sluiting van 'n kontrak met 'n derde, is 'n teenvoeter vir die hipotese gesuggereer deur die Duitse reg dat die verstekkonstruksie van voorkeurkontrakte behoort te wees dat slegs 'n negatiewe verpligting geskep word. Die kriptiese wyse waarop voorkeurkontrakte normaalweg opgestel word, maak dit moeilik om selfs die hoofdoelstelling van die partye te identifiseer. Dit is daarom nie maklik om voorkeurkontrakte te klassifisieer in die verskillende tipes wat in hierdie studie geïdentifiseer is nie. 'n Verstekregime is daarom wenslik in die belang van regsekerheid. Die keuse van verstekregime behoort gemaak te word op die basis van erkende beleidsoorwegings, spesifiek op die basis van 'n billike balansering van tipiese partybelange en in die lig van gemeenskapsbelange gebalanseer teen die vereiste van regsekerheid. Die keuse van verstekregime kan nie gebaseer word bloot op historiese gesag en vorige beslissings nie (wat in elk geval in die huidige konteks onduidelik is). Dit kan ook nie gebaseer word op ongemotiveerde aansprake dat een model meer logies of kommersieël bruikbaar as 'n ander is nie. Wanneer verstekreëls gekies word moet dit, sover moontlik, versoen word met die bestaande begrippe-struktuur van ons reg om teenstrydighede in die sisteem te vermy. 'n Beleidsanalise laat blyk dat drie verstektipes voorkeurkontrakte erken behoort te word, elk met 'n duidelik afgebakende toepassingsveld. Eerstens, waar die ooreenkoms toelaat dat die voorkeurreggewer eers met 'n derde party kontrakteer, het die voorkeurreghouer 'n opsie om te kontrakteer op die terme ooreengekom met die derde. Die voorkeurkontrak kan daarom beskou word as 'n opsie onderhewig aan die voorwaarde van sluiting van 'n kontrak met 'n derde. Sulke kontrakte is raar in Suid- Afrika. In ander gevalle behoort die verstekreël te wees dat die voorkeurreggewer eers die houer 'n geleentheid moet gee om te kontrakteer voordat sy met 'n derde 'n kontrak aangaan. Die verstekkonstruksie van hierdie laasgenoemde tipe voorkeurkontrak hang daarvan af of die voorkeurkontrak self die substantiewe kontraksprys vasstel. Indien wel het die houer die reg of opsie om te kontrakteer teen daardie prys by enige manifestasie van 'n begeerte om die spesifieke soort kontrak te sluit. Maar waar die voorkeurkontrak nie die prys vasstel nie, of verwys na 'n prys wat die gewer sou aanvaar van 'n derde, behoort enige manifestasie van 'n begeerte om te kontrakteer nie genoeg te wees om die houer se reg afdwingbaar te maak nie. Die voorkeurreggewer en die gemeenskap het 'n belang daarby dat die gewer se vryheid om met derdes te onderhandel so min as moontlik beperk word sodat sy die beste moontlike prys kan kry. In sulke gevalle behoort die verstekreël te wees dat die houer slegs geregtig is op die voordeel van die substantiewe kontrak by kontrakbreuk in die vorm van 'n kontrak met of aanbod aan 'n derde. Die verstekreël behoort ook te wees dat sulke voorkeurkontrakte in beginsel slegs beëindig word wanneer die voorkeurreggewer inderdaad kontrakteer met en presteer aan 'n derde binne 'n redelike tyd nadat die voorkeurreghouer die geleentheid gegee is om daardie terme te ewenaar. Dit behoort ook vereis te word dat die identiteit van die derde aan die houer geopenbaar word op sy versoek. Die houer kan dus nie sy voorkeurreg verloor deur nie-aanvaarding van 'n belaglik hoë aanbod deur die voorkeurreggewer nie. Opsies en voorkeurkontrakte is oorvleulende konsepte. Die tipe voorkeurkontrak wat 'n voorwaardelike reg om te kontrakteer verleen kan dikwels verstaan word as 'n voorwaardelike opsie (of minstens as 'n voorwaardelike opsie onderhewig aan 'n ontbindende voorwaarde dat die gewer glad nie meer wil kontrakteer nie). Die tradisionele onderskeid tussen opsies en voorkeurregte kan slegs behou word tov sommige voorkeurkontrakte. Hulle is die "negatiewe" voorkeurkontrakte, wat slegs aanleiding gee tot remedies gemik op herstel van die status quo ante kontrakbreuk sowel as daarde voorkeurkontrakte wat voorwaardelike regte om te kontrakteer skep wat howe weier om as voorwaardelike opsies te behandelomdat hulle bewoording wys op 'n plig om 'n aanbod te maak of te aanvaar, of omdat die vereiste van sekerheid hulle verhoed om opsies te wees.

Thesis (M.A.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2006.
"A dissertation to the School of Law in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Art in arbitration and dispute resolution" Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on May 23, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

In any contractual operation, risks are presented, which have a significant cost in economic operations. In view of this, the parties, in exercise of their contractual freedom, regulate the allocation of risks in the most appropriate way to their needs, seeking efficiency. In this article, the author explains the importance of risks in contractual operations, the reason for the modification of legal provisions of risk allocation, and why contracts should be interpreted literally.
En toda operación contractual, se presentan riesgos, los cuales tienen un costo significativo en las operaciones económicas. Ante ello, las partes, en ejercicio de su libertad contractual, regulan la asignación de los riesgos de la forma más acorde a su necesidad, buscando la eficiencia. En el presente artículo, el autor explica la relevancia de los riegos en las operaciones contractuales, la razón de la modificación de las disposiciones legales de asignación de riesgo y por qué los contratos deben interpretarse literalmente.

This thesis aims to provide a critical appraisal of the validity and enforcement of arbitration agreements and clauses in the context of administrative contracts. The proposed thesis will consider the potential impacts of Shariah on arbitration proceedings initiated in Saudi Arabia, with particular attention focused on the requirements of the applicable procedural and substantive laws. Drawing on the administrative systems of France and Egypt, this thesis will consider how other civil law systems have balanced the rights of private parties with the unilateral authority of public administration, and the extent to which these systems have recognised the rights of private parties to resolve disputes through the mechanisms of arbitration.

When and why can parties escape from a contract on the ground that the price is unfair? This question is considered in a comparative and historical perspective in English and French law. The general rule in both systems is that the parties are free to determine the price and they are then bound by their contract. One well known exception in French law, which derives from Roman law, is Article 1674 of the Code civil which allows a vendor to rescind a contract for the sale of land if the price agreed in the contract is less than five-twelfths of the fair price. It is generally thought that there are no analogous rules in English law. However, the law on this subject is in fact considerably more complex and more colourful than this simple contrast would suggest. Numerous rules on unfair prices in contracts were created in French law by the legislature and the courts since the promulgation of the Code civil in 1804. In English law, courts intervened in contracts on the ground of an unfair price in a few instances in the nineteenth century. However, only the rule on unfair prices in salvage contracts has survived until today. In both systems, the policies of preserving family wealth, protecting weak parties and giving special treatment to certain parties for economic, political, social or cultural reasons underpin these rules. There are two principal conclusions. First, freedom of contract is much less extensive in French law than in English law. This is evident in the numerous rules on unfair prices in contracts in French law and in the primacy of the remedy of altering the price rather than rescission. Secondly, while in theory, French courts play a much less significant role than English courts in the development of law, the creation and abolition of certain rules on unfair prices in contracts by French courts shows that judicial creativity in French law can be much less constrained in practice than in English law.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, 2007.
Title from first page of PDF file (viewed May 10, 2007). Available via ProQuest Digital Dissertations. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 114-118).

I förarbetena till Konsumenttjänstlagen (1985:716) framförs att det är nödvändigt med lagstiftad reglering inom transporttjänster, däribland persontransporter. Det nämns även att att KtjL senare skulle kunna utökas till att gälla fler typer av tjänster än de i början avsedda. Lagstiftat konsumentskydd finns angående persontransporter i sjöfart, järnvägstrafik och luftfart samt paketresor. I dessa trafikslag samt i sjöfart har transportören ett lagstiftat ansvar gentemot passageraren vid förseningar, medan ett sådant ansvar saknas vid järnvägsbefordringar. Det saknas vidare i dagens läge lagstiftning som ger resenärer konsumentskydd vid vägtransporter. Reglering har istället utformats i form av resevillkor uppställda av de olika transportörer som finns inom persontransportområdet, det vill säga av motparten till resenären i avtalet om personbefordran. För att ett förtroende för, och ökning av, resor i kollektivtrafik skall finnas är det viktigt att resenärerna vet att de har vissa grundläggande rättigheter när de reser och att hänsyn tas till dessa rättigheter.

Syftet med denna magisteruppsats är att utreda om KtjL kan vara analogiskt tillämplig på avtal om personbefordran vad gäller kollektivtrafik på väg och järnväg. Förutsättningarna för en analogitillämpning av KtjL utreds för att kunna bedöma om en sådan tillämpning är tillämpbar på avtal om personbefordran på väg och järnväg. Uppsatsen avslutas med en bedömning av huruvida en analogitillämpning av KtjL är mer fördelaktig för resenärerna i jämförelse med det skydd som transportörernas resevillkor gör.

Formkrav i svensk avtalsrätt innebär bl.a. att vissa avtal måste tecknas i skriftlig form och att de ska undertecknas på papper. I och med digitaliseringen har dock elektroniska medel för ingående av avtal blivit mer och mer av en norm. Smart Contracts är avtal som med tekniska medel syftar till automatisera parternas avtalsprestationer och därmed göra det säkrare för parter att ingå avtal. Detta arbete syftar därmed till att utvärdera huruvida användandet av avtal som ingås via den tekniska företeelsen Smart Contracts kan ersätta användandet av formalavtal.

There seems to be wide acceptance of the idea that divergencies between legal systems give rise to disadvantages. These divergencies are, and have always been, regarded as inconveniences to overcome, particularily between the Civil and Common Law traditions, which present quite diverging points of view in the way the Law is thought. Today, one criterion of evaluating any harmonization of international legal norms is the extent to which the effort enhances certainty, a quality much appreciated in the field of international commercial contracts.
In fact, today, there is a detectable effort on the international level to harmonize the laws, especially in relevance to international contracts, in order to provide a better environment for world trade.
When we decided to go through this subject, we had in mind the importance of understanding this harmonization tendency on the international sphere. That may be the reason why we have tried, in this thesis, to expose the harmonization process adopted by some recent conventions. Our purpose was to prove that, even though differences and disparities may exist, as long as there is a uniform tendency toward social and cultural uniformity, one might predict that these divergencies would eventually even out. We see in this tendency an indication of the convergence of the Common and Civil Law toward the same destination: make this world a better place.

In the modern world, electronic communications play a significant role in national and international electronic transactions. This issue has forced all legal systems to face up to many emerging legal problems in the context of electronic communications, such as the time and the place of formation of electronic contracts, the validation of e-contracts made by the interaction with e-agents, the legal validity of electronic documents and signatures, consumer protection in contracting electronically in particular in cross-border e-transactions, and the Internet jurisdiction and choice of law. One issue to determine is the place of formation of contracts when contracting electronically, either through email, websites or chat-rooms to see how the notion of 'place' is perceivable in cyberspace; and the way of application of the four traditional theories of information, dispatch, receipt and awareness relating to the time and place of conclusion of contracts in contracting by electronic means should be examined. Regarding the legal validity of e-contracts made through interactive websites, the legal status of electronic agents which play an important role in this process is questionable to see whether they are akin to real agents in the physical world or they are only a mere tool of communication. The responsible person for any mistakes that an electronic agent makes and causes losses or damages to the contracting parties should also be examined. There are also questions regarding meeting the formalities in the formation of some specific contracts in contracting electronically to see whether the electronic documents and signatures legally valid and admissible at the courts of law or not. Their legal weight should also be measured. Moving on the jurisdiction and choice of law issue, some argumentative questions raise. For instance, where the rule of private international law provides that the competent court is the court within which jurisdiction the contract is performed, it is necessary to see that where the place of performance of the contract in which the subject matter is digital goods such as e-books or computer software delivered online is. This is also an important question in providing electronic services such as e-teaching. Regarding the choice of law issue the same questions of jurisdiction are posed. Furthermore, as consumer protection issue in B2C contracts is important in developing electronic commerce worldwide, it should be considered that whether the consumer party is able to bring an action against the business party in his own place of domicile or habitual residence or not. These are only a sample of questions that the current research tries to analyse based on the traditional legal rules and principles and the statues on electronic commerce. Discussing the above legal doubts in the context of Iranian law shows that there are a number of legal uncertainties in the Iranian legal system hindering, or at least putting in doubt, the development of electronic commerce in both national and cross-border electronic transactions. Despite the fact that some of them have been addressed by the Iranian Electronic Commerce Act 2004 indirectly, however a detailed legal work is still definitely needed to elaborate the questions and provide solutions developing and modernizing Iranian law in the context of electronic contracts. The author in the current research tries to analyse the questions by a horizontal comparative study of the UNCITRAL Model Laws, the Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts 2005, the EU law, English law, American law and Iranian law. Also, a four-stage roadmap that acts as the guiding principle of this research is employed to develop the Iranian legal system in the context of e-commerce. The first stage focuses on whether the exact application of Iranian traditional law can address the emerging legal doubts; the second stage expands and develops traditional rules; the third introduces legal presumptions; and the fourth theorizes new rules. The research concludes that the Iranian legal system may be modernized and developed in the context of electronic contracts by adopting the legal policy and solutions of other legal systems by both scholarly legal doctrines and legislation.

The thesis takes as its subject the concept of accountability. It examines the use made of the concept in the public law literature, and advances a novel analytical model of the individual accountability mechanism. The model identifies the essential features of that mechanism: setting standards against which an account can be judged; requiring the person being called to account to explain and justify his or her actions; judging the account rendered against the standards set; and responding to the account rendered, where appropriate, with enforcement measures. This analytical approach provides a way of examining, in detail, an individual accountability mechanism, and identifying the main practical problems faced by the parties to it. The approach is applied to an empirical case study of National Health Service (NHS) contracts. (The fieldwork involved an examination of contractual relationships between purchasers (Health Authorities and GP fundholders) and providers (NHS Trusts) in three sample areas, using document analysis, interviews and observation.) The study's main findings fall into three groups. Firstly, purchasers were subject to various pressures and constraints (of time and resources, for example) which affected their actions in calling providers to account. Secondly, the study uncovered some of the complexities of the relationship between the parties to the accountability process. Analytical models of the accountability relationship were developed in order to classify different types of relationship according to the parties' behaviour and their degree of mutual trust. Thirdly, the study examined whether purchasers, as callers to account, could render the accountability process effective. For various reasons, purchasers often lacked the authority to set and enforce the standards they required. The model of the accountability mechanism developed in the thesis also has evaluative potential. Drawing on the public law literature as well as the empirical data, a notion of the good accountability process is evolved. This includes, for example, requirements of maximising the accountability achieved within available resources, maintaining good relationships by using fair procedures, and finding ways of making the whole process effective. Some of these principles may be of more general application to other accountability processes. Possible generalisations are explored, particularly the contribution of the thesis to the development of an explicitly public law concept of contract.

Disputes continue to beset English law governed shipbuilding contracts to this day, despite the fact that English law’s characterisation of the shipbuilding contract and relationship have been established since the late 19th Century. For English law to develop such that shipbuilding disputes do not occur in future, this thesis argues that lawmakers and judges must give due regard to shipbuilding industry norms. In order to do so, this thesis will firstly demonstrate that there is a disparity between how English law characterises all shipbuilding contracts and relationships, and the variety of shipbuilding contracts, relationships and projects found in the industry. It is thus argued that reconciliation of this void between law and industry is contingent upon the law having regard for industry norms. This thesis will then examine the causes of shipbuilding disputes, before exploring the judicial remedies available to parties following dispute - both if shipbuilding contracts continue to be characterised as sale of goods provisions under English law, and if legislators decide otherwise. The context of remedies will in turn be used to demonstrate how industry norms can influence both the judicial remedies issued by judges and arbitrators, and the contractual remedy clauses which parties insert into their contracts to resolve or mitigate shipbuilding disputes.

This thesis approaches key areas of insurance contract law and their reform from the perspective of Adams and Brownsword’s theory of contract law ideologies. Pursuant to this theory, there are two layers of ideologies underlying contract law. One is the formalist versus realist judicial approaches. The other is that the realist approach being broken down into two limbs, namely market-individualism and consumer-welfarism in contract law. The theory of contract law ideologies is relevant to insurance contract law, because there is substantiated homogeneity between general contract law and insurance contract law, and the relevance consists in the theory’s usefulness both as an interpretive framework and as an evaluative standard. Specifically, from that particular ideological perspective, the thesis interprets the law of disclosure and warranty in insurance, of the requirement of insurable interest, and of the legal rules for insurance payment. Under the theory of contract law ideologies as an interpretative framework, the current law of insurance as far as those three key areas are concerned is found to be much more formalist than realist. The thesis also evaluates the core proposals tentatively put forward by the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission for reform in those key areas of insurance contract law. From the theory of contract law ideologies, it can be derived an evaluative standard that, for law reform through legislation, the realist approach is more preferable, and market-individualism should prevail in business insurance whereas consumer-welfarism should prevail in consumer insurance. By this standard, most of the core tentative proposals by the two Law Commissions for reform in the law of disclosure in business insurance and of warranties in insurance are realist and therefore desirable, but two of the proposals need to be amended. The recent proposals in 2011 to retain the requirement of insurable interest are not realist and instead it is better to return to the proposals in 2008. Among the proposals regarding the legal rules of insurance payment, the Scottish approach is preferable for its realist re-characterization of insurers’ primary contractual obligation.

Thesis (M.A.)--City University of Hong Kong, 2006.
"Master of Arts in arbitration and dispute resolution, LW6409 dissertation" Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on May 23, 2007) Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Includes bibliography
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It is a general principle of the law of South Africa that an unassisted contract of a minor is unenforceable against the minor. Although it binds the other party, the minor is not bound. The minor will only be bound if the contract is enforced by his guardian, or if the contract is ratified by the child after attaining majority. This implies that the other party is in a rather unfortunate position, since the effectiveness of the contract will remain uncertain until the guardian of the minor decides to enforce or repudiate the contract, or until the minor ratifies it after attaining majority. The other party may not resile from the contract during this interim period. Should it be established that the contract has failed, the question arises to what extent the parties are obliged to return performances made in purported fulfilment of the contract. In terms of the law of South Africa, the prevailing view is that these claims are based on unjustified enrichment. However, the extent of these claims differs. In principle, both parties’ liability will be limited to the amount remaining in its estate, according to the defence of loss of enrichment. But the application of the defence is subject to an exception that does not apply equally to the parties. Had the other party known or should the other party have known that the enrichment was sine causa, yet continued to part with it, he will be held liable for the full enrichment. However, this exception does not apply to the enrichment liability of minors. In other words, whether the minor knew or should have known that the enrichment was sine causa, he would still be allowed to raise the defence of loss of enrichment. Furthermore, the rules applicable to minors’ enrichment liability applies to all minors, and no scope is left to consider the specific circumstances of each minor. It is accepted that there are two competing principles relating to minors’ unassisted contracts. On the one hand, the law must protect the minor from his immaturity and lack of experience. On the other hand, the law must protect the interests of the other party. It will be seen throughout this study that the determination of how to balance these competing principles is not an easy task. The key aim of this thesis is to investigate the principles governing the unwinding of unassisted minors’ contracts in South Africa. A comparison will be made with the principles applied in other legal systems, in order to identify similarities and differences in the approaches and, to establish what underlies the differences in the various approaches. Germany, England and Scotland have been chosen for comparison for various reasons. First, they share some historical roots, and they represent three major legal traditions, namely the civil law, common law and mixed legal systems, of which South Africa also forms part. Secondly, both England and Scotland have experienced recent legislative reform in this regard, which implies that their respective legal systems should be in line with modern tendencies, and consequently they may provide a valuable framework for possible reform in South Africa. In Germany, although mainly regulated by rather older legislation, there have been interesting developments in the determination of consequences of failed contracts. Hellwege has argued that the unwinding of all contracts should be treated similarly, regardless of the unwinding factor. He has also suggested that in order to prevent the accumulation of risk on one party, and to ensure that the risk is placed on the person who is in control of the object, the defence of loss of enrichment should not be available to any party. His reasoning and suggestions is dealt with in more detail in this thesis. This study argues that the current strict approach applied under South African law regarding minors’ unassisted contracts needs to be re-considered. The current approach is dated and is not in line with modern tendencies and legislation. No proper consideration is given to minors’ development into adulthood or personal circumstances of the parties. It is submitted that in the process of re-consideration, some form of acknowledgement must be given to minors’ development towards mature adults. It is submitted that this would be possible by introducing a more flexible approach to regulate the enforceability and unwinding of minors’ unassisted contracts.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING Dit is ‘n algemene beginsel van die Suid-Afrikaanse reg dat ‘n kontrak aangegaan deur ‘n minderjarige sonder die nodige bystand van sy ouer of voog onafdwingbaar is teenoor die minderjarige. Die minderjarige sal slegs gebonde wees indien die kontrak afgedwing word deur sy voog, of indien die minderjarige self die kontrak ratifiseer nadat hy meerderjarig word. Dit impliseer dat die ander party in ‘n ongunstige posisie is, aangesien die werking van die kontrak onseker is totdat die voog besluit om die kontrak af te dwing of te repudieer, of totdat die minderjarige dit ratifiseer nadat hy meerderjarig word. Gedurende hierdie interim periode mag die ander party nie terugtree uit hierdie kontrak nie. Sou dit bepaal word dat die kontrak misluk het, ontstaan die vraag tot watter mate die partye verplig word om prestasies wat reeds gemaak is, terug te gee. In terme van die Suid-Afrikaanse reg is die meerderheidsopinie dat hierdie eise gebaseer is op onregverdige verryking, maar die omvang van die partye se eise verskil. In beginsel is beide partye se aanspreeklikheid beperk tot die bedrag wat steeds in sy boedel beskikbaar is, weens die beskikbaarheid van die verweer van verlies van verryking. Maar die toepassing van die verweer is onderworpe aan ‘n uitsondering wat nie op beide partye geld nie. Indien die ander party geweet het of moes geweet het dat die verryking sine causa was, maar steeds afstand gedoen het van die verryking, sal hy aanspreeklik gehou word vir die volle verryking. Hierdie reel is egter nie van toepassing op die minderjarige se verrykingsaanspreeklikheid nie. Met ander woorde, indien die minderjarige geweet het of moes geweet het dat die verryking sine causa was, en steeds afstand gedoen het van die verryking, sal hy steeds die verweer van verlies van verryking kan opper. Bowendien, die reels van toepassing op minderjariges se verrykingsaanspreeklikheid is van toepassing op alle minderjariges, en geen ruimte word gelaat om die spesifieke omstandighede van elke minderjarige in ag te neem nie. Wanneer ons kontrakte aangegaan deur minderjariges sonder die nodige bystand, oorweeg, word dit algemeen aanvaar dat daar twee kompeterende beginsels van belang is. Aan die een kant moet die reg die minderjarige beskerm teen sy onvolwassenheid en gebrek aan ondervinding. Aan die ander kant moet die reg ook die belange van die ander party beskerm. Dit sal deurlopend in hierdie studie gesien word dat die behoorlike balansering van hierdie twee beginsels nie ‘n maklike taak is nie. Die hoofdoel van hierdie tesis is om die beginsels wat die afdwingbaarheid en ontbinding van minderjariges se kontrakte in Suid-Afrika, wat aangegaan is sonder die nodige bystand van ‘n voog, te ondersoek. ‘n Vergelyking sal getref word met die beginsels wat in ander regstelsels toegepas word, om sodoende die ooreenkomste en verskille te identifiseer, asook om te bepaal wat hierdie verskille onderlê. Duitsland, Engeland en Skotland is gekies as vergelykende jurisdiksies vir verskeie redes, naamlik hulle historiese gebondenheid en die feit dat hulle drie groot regstradisies (die kontinentale regstelsel, die gemenereg en die gemengde regstelsel) verteenwoordig. Bowendien het beide Engeland en Skotland onlangse wetgewende hervorming ondergaan in hierdie sfeer van die reg, wat impliseer dat hierdie regstelsels waarskynlik in lyn sal wees met moderne tendense. Gevolglik kan hulle ‘n waardevolle raamwerk skep waarbinne moontlike hervorming in Suid-Afrika mag plaasvind. Alhoewel Duitsland grotendeels nog deur ouer wetgewing gereguleer word, het dit ook ‘n reeks interessante verwikkelinge ondergaan in die bepaling van die gevolge van kontrakte wat misluk het. Hellwege argumenteer dat die ontbinding van alle kontrakte dieselfde hanteer moet word, ongeag die onderliggende ontbindende faktor. Hy stel ook voor dat om te verhoed dat die risiko op slegs een party geplaas word, en om te verseker dat dit eerder gedra word deur daardie party wat beheer het oor die voorwerp, die verweer van verlies van verryking nie vir enige party beskikbaar moet wees nie. Sy redenering en voorstelle word in meer besonderhede in hierdie studie bespreek. Hierdie studie argumenteer dat die huidige streng benadering wat in Suid-Afrika toegepas word met betrekking tot kontrakte aangegaan deur minderjariges sonder die nodige bystand van ‘n voog, heroorweeg moet word. Die huidige benadering is verouderd en is nie lyn met moderne tendense en wetgewing nie. Bowendien word geen behoorlike oorweging gegee aan minderjariges se ontwikkeling tot volwassenheid nie, en die partye se persoonlike omstandighede word ook nie in ag geneem nie. Daar word argumenteer dat in die proses van heroorweging, ‘n mate van erkenning gegee moet word aan minderjariges se persoonlike ontwikkeling. Daar word verder argumenteer dat ‘n meer buigsame benadering toegepas moet word ten opsigte van die regulering van die afdwingbaarheid en ontbinding van hierdie kontrakte.

The author of this thesis undertakes to compare the role of silence in the Civil and Common law of contracts. This thesis demonstrates that these two legal systems, which had at first ignored silence, have reined it in to an increasingly greater degree by objectifying it. This paper's purpose is thus not only to comparatively assess the role of silence through the various phases of the contract, where this process of objectivization occurs, but also to examine the reasons behind this process. Lastly, it will examine the direction the process takes.
The scope of silence being indefinite, it would be unreasonable to imagine its complete objectivization. Nevertheless, the parallel processes in both the Common and the Civil law will have to evolve further in order to allow silence to take on a greater role in Contracts. The succes of such an evolution, in either system, will no doubt result from a comparative approach of this phenomenon.

In Scots law, a creditor may enlist the aid of a third party known as a 'cautioner', who agrees to pay the creditor if the principal debtor defaults. Should the creditor see fit to sue the cautioner, the latter may seek compensation from the principal debtor for the whole amount paid or, if there are other cautioners, a pro rata contribution from the ones who did not pay. While these so-called rights of 'relief' are well established in Scottish case law, there is increasing controversy as to their nature. The present thesis engages with this problem headon, identifying the rationales for a cautioner's various rights of relief and examining how those rationales shape the content of the cautioner's claim in each case. By considering relief within the restricted confines of a cautionary relationship, the thesis aims to demystify a subject that is often complex and diffuse. It also seeks to establish the subject as a free-standing entity, independent of the historical and substantive inter-mixtures through which it has often been conceived in Scots law. After placing the cautioner's rights of relief into their private-law context (Chapters One to Five), the thesis examines each of these rights in detail. Chapter Six considers the basis of a cautioner's right to 'pro rata relief', and Chapter Seven discusses the content of that right, with particular reference to cases where there are three or more cautioners. Chapter Eight builds on the analysis in Chapter Six by determining on what basis a cautioner may claim 'total relief' from the principal debtor. Finally, Chapter Nine examines a cautioner's right to seek relief before paying anything to the creditor.