This thesis examines the law on international commercial arbitration in England, Japan and Russia with a view to identify those areas for which harmonisation is of the greatest practical importance. This study is a timely one, since the Arbitration Act 1996 came into effect on 1st January 1997 in England. In Japan, the Committee of Arbitration formed by Japanese experts on arbitration prepared the Draft Text of the Law of Arbitration in 1989, and preparation for amendment based on the UNCITRAL Model Law is under way. In Russia, the Law on International Commercial Arbitration was established based on the UNCITRAL Model Law on 7th July 1993. A comparative study is made of the rules of international private law relating to arbitration, especially issues on international jurisdiction. Despite of recent development of unification of law on arbitration such as the 1958 New York Convention and the UNCITRAL Model Law, there are few rules in this area. This study goes some way towards filling this gap in the legal framework. The classification of an arbitration agreement and its influences upon international private law and law on arbitration are also considered. The issue of classification has been argued by many commentators usually to attempt to clarify the general characteristics of arbitration. However, it is the classification of an arbitration agreement that has practical significance. The classification of an arbitration agreement affects, directly or indirectly, not only the international private law but also law on arbitration. Its effects extend to the law applicable to an arbitration agreement, the law applicable to the capacity of a person to enter into an arbitration agreement, the principle of separability of an arbitration agreement, assignment of an arbitration agreement, the principle of Kompetentz-Kompetentz, and the stay of court proceedings on the basis of the existence of an arbitration agreement. Finally, this comparative study is used as a basis to put forward models for harmonisation in the interpretation of law on arbitration.

Šis magistro baigiamasis darbas skirtas teismų jurisdikcijų kolizijų civilinėse bylose, turinčiose užsienio elementą, bendrojoje tarptautinėje, užsienio ir Lietuvos teisėje įtvirtintos teisės normų reglamentacijos sukeliamų problemų analizei. Pagrindine tyrimo užduotimi autorius laiko po Lietuvos Respublikos tapimo Europos Sąjungos nare išaugusią užsienio elementą turinčių civilinių ginčų teismų jurisdikcijų teisingo nustatymo instituto svarbą įtvirtinančių tarptautinių, užsienio ir Lietuvos teisės normų nuostatų bei teismų jurisprudencijos įvertinimą bendrame pasauliniame kontekste. Darbą sudaro trys dalys. Pirmojoje dalyje išryškinama teismų jurisdikcijų kolizijos samprata, jos atskirų kriterijų reikšmė nustatant kompetentingą teismą ir tos teisminės institucijos priimtų sprendimų pripažinimą bei vykdymą. Taip pat detaliai susipažįstama su įvairių valstybių (Vokietijos, Prancūzijos, Lietuvos...) nacionalinių, pasaulinių (UNIDROIT Romos konvencija dėl pavogtų ar neteisėtai išvežtų kultūros objektų...) ir ES (Reglamento 44/2001…) teisės aktų bei Lietuvos Respublikos pasirašytų teisinės pagalbos sutarčių nuostatomis, įtvirtinančiomis civilinių bylų su užsienio elementu priskirtinumą konkrečioms teismų jurisdikcijoms. Antrojoje dalyje susipažįstama su Europos Teisingumo Teismo, Nuolatinio Tarptautinio Teisingumo Teismo, užsienio ir Lietuvos valstybių teisminių institucijų praktika. Aptariant šią praktiką bei pirmojoje dalyje aprašytus kriterijus, įvardijamos daugiausiai... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The present thesis is devoted to the analysis of collisions of courts' jurisdictions in civil cases involving a foreign element and the analysis of the problems caused by the regulation of law norms confirmed in General International Law, Foreign Law and Lithuanian Law. After becoming an EU member state, the growth of civil contentions involving a foreign element is noticeable in the Republic of Lithuania. According to the author of this thesis, the main task of the thesis is considered to be the evaluation of the right determination institute of civil law jurisdictions importance confirmed by International, Foreign and Lithuanian Law norms regulation as well as the courts’ jurisprudence in the common world context. The thesis consists of three different parts. In the first part the author emphasizes the definition of collision of the courts’ jurisdiction and the importance of its separate criteria by identification of the qualified court, the recognition of its taken judgments and implementation. After that, national laws of different countries (such as Germany, France, Lithuania, etc.), international (UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects, etc.) and the European Union (EU) (Council Regulation 44/2001, etc.) rules of law as well as some legal provisions from the international legal assistance treaties signed by the Republic of Lithuania, that deals with civil cases’ involving foreign element, attributability to the particular courts will be... [to full text]

Jersey law, and within it Jersey property law, has received little academic attention. This thesis seeks to examine, and provide a systematic account of, the Jersey law of property. Specific aspects of substantive law are explored. From these, general observations about the nature and structure of property law are made. Unsurprisingly, given the small size of the island, Jersey has a relatively limited amount of indigenous legal material to offer, much of it in French. Inevitably, there are gaps in the sources and some way of addressing these has to be determined before a systematic account of the law is possible. Juristic writing and modern caselaw demonstrate consistent recourse to the laws of other jurisdictions when gaps are encountered. Norman law, modern French law, and English law (to a much lesser extent and mainly where it conforms to Roman law) are used in the cases on property law, and thus also in this thesis. Reference is also made to the law of Guernsey (Jersey’s sister jurisdiction) but the difficulties encountered in researching Jersey law are no less evident there. In areas such as the law of servitudes, Roman law is often referred to explicitly by the Jersey jurists and by the commentators on Norman law. The influence of Roman law is also evident in the division between real rights and personal rights, sometimes barely visible in Jersey law, and is also a general backdrop to the rules on classification of things. Norman feudal law remains vestigially in place but the structure of the law and its individual rules bear many civilian characteristics. For this reason, in addition to Jersey sources, Norman law, modern French law, and any other materials used by the courts, other jurisdictions with civilian systems of property law are also referred to, specifically mixed jurisdictions, of which Jersey is one.

The present thesis is concerned with private international law for corporate and insolvency disputes in the context of freedom of establishment. First, it presents the traditional rules of conflict applicable to corporate disputes that have been implemented in some major jurisdictions. Second, it analyses the relevant leading judgments of the European Court of Justice and it demonstrates the way in which, contrary to popular belief, the real seat theory has not been held contrary to freedom of establishment. The thesis then deals with the concept of letter-box companies and examines the limitations that are being placed to the use of freedom of establishment. This is followed by a juxtaposition of the factors that have lead and could lead to regulatory competition for corporate law in the USA and the EU respectively. A modest approach is taken towards the possibility of the latter occurring in the EU. Third, the thesis examines the treatment of insolency disputes in this context. A substantial part of it is dedicated to the definition of the basis for international jurisdiction for the opening of insolvency proceedings, namely the centre of main interests. It argues in favour of an objective test for the identification of the centre of main interests (COMI) and the allocations of certain burdens on both the debtor and the creditors. It then focuses on the treatment of forum shopping in the context on international insolvencies. Based on considerations of consent and economic efficiency, it suggests a definition, according to which certain transfers of the COMI should not amount to forum shopping. Finally, the thesis examines the possibility of a regulatory competition for insolvencies in the EU and seeks to demonstrate that the conditions for such a competition are more analogous between US corporate law and EU insolvency, rather than company, law.

"Mémoire présenté à la faculté des études supérieures en vue de l'obtention du grade de maîtrise en droit (LL.M.)" / Le réseau Internet favorise les transactions transfrontalières, même entre des personnes vivant à des distances éloignées les unes des autres. La perméabilité des frontières lors de l'utilisation d'Internet rend difficile l'application des règles traditionnelles du droit international privé, fondées sur le paradigme territorial. Le présent mémoire a pour but d'analyser cette problématique. En premier lieu, nous explorons dans ce contexte les caractéristiques d'Internet et les sources pertinentes du droit international privé. À travers le prisme du cyberespace, nous procédons ensuite à un examen des critères juridictionnels retenus par la doctrine et la jurisprudence. Dans cette optique, nous accordons une attention particulière au domaine de la cyberconsommation, lequel est particulièrement vulnérable à l'absence de référence territoriale. En effet, le paternalisme étatique destiné à protéger les consommateurs peut difficilement s'y exercer. Dès lors, il devient évident que la communauté internationale, confrontée à cette nouvelle réalité, sera appelée à se tourner vers des modes alternatifs de résolution de conflits et que les États participeront à cette fin à une corégulation avec le secteur privé. / The Internet facilitates transborder transactions, even among people living far away from one another. The permeability of borders arising from the use of the Internet makes it very difficult to apply traditional rules under private internationallaw, which are based on a territorial paradigm. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse this problem. First, we explore the characteristics of the Internet in this particular context and the relevant sources of private international law. Through the prism of cyberspace, we then review jurisdictional criteria arising from the doctrine and jurisprudence. Special attention is paid to the field of cyberconsumers, which is particularly vulnerable to the absence of territorial references. Indeed, state paternalism designed to protect consumers is difficult to apply in this field. Confronted with this new reality, the international community will increasingly turn to alternative methods of dispute resolution, while States join forces with the private sector to develop co-regulations.

Capital jurisdiction, criminality and everyday life on domain of Náchod and in king's town Nymburk between the years 1513-1618 In this diploma paper I dealt with criminality and everyday life on the early modern domain of Náchod and in the king's town Nymburk between the years 1513-1620. Firstly I tried to describe how the town councils worked and with which central regulations they operated. Secondly I did the statistic quatification of all criminal delicts which are mentioned in "pitch" or "black" books of Náchod and Nymburk and other materials of court provenance. Then I compared court causes from other "pitch"/ "black" books which were published in the past with material from Náchod's and Nymburk's archive. I managed to use modern historical methods such as microhistory and historical anthropology to show which postures took early modern society to different types of criminal delicts or problematic phenomenona like sexual life before marriage, suicide, rape or witchcraft. In connection with this I tried to clear up why were criminal delicts like infanticide or witchcraft punished with such a brutal death penalty. As well as this I attempted to describe in details the fact that punishment was not irreversible. The town council was very open to requests of mercy especially if a priest or a clerk of local...

This thesis deals with the topic of universal jurisdiction and the aut dedere aut judicare principle. It also marginally deals with issues of immunity of the perpetrators of international crimes, in relation of them enjoying leading functions of the state. In the introductory chapter of this thesis is discussed concept of jurisdiction as a basis for understanding following content of the next chapter about universal jurisdiction itself. In the chapter about the historical development the emergence of universal jurisdiction is described, through circumstances accompanying the establishment of the Nuremberg Tribunal to internationally significant legal proceedings with Albert Eichmann. In my work I try to bring yet ambiguously defined concept of universal jurisdiction, to elucidate its content and scope of its application areas. In the second part of this thesis I focus on the principle aut dedere aut judicare i.e. obligations of states to prosecute perpetrators of international crimes, present at their territory, or else extradite them to the State, which calls for providing their prosecution. On the case before the International Court of Justice in The Hague in the matter of extradition of former Chadian president by Senegal to Belgium I demonstrate the practical implications of the aut dedere aut...

Les pouvoirs implicites, dans une acception large, sont les pouvoirs déduits par le juge et faisant appel à une argumentation distincte de celle fondée sur le seul sens accordé aux termes d’une disposition expresse. Le lien entre ce pouvoir et les textes est susceptible de varier, selon que le pouvoir est reconnu sur le fondement d’une disposition précise ou sur une appréhension globale des attributions de l’autorité qui en bénéficie. Pourtant,indépendamment de cette distinction, les pouvoirs implicites correspondent tous à la mise en oeuvre d’un raisonnement similaire : il faut considérer que l’auteur d’un texte désire que celui-ci puisse produise tous ses effets. Les textes doivent alors être entendus comme confiant non seulement tous les pouvoirs prévus expressément, mais aussi ceux qui sont nécessaires à l’accomplissement des objectifs confiés par leur auteur. Ce principe d’interprétation posé, le juge est ensuite conduit à apprécier cette nécessité au regard d’une ou d’un ensemble de dispositions. La jurisprudence administrative témoigne de la reconnaissance de pouvoirs implicites. Leur identification est cependant le plus souvent incertaine. Par ailleurs,les termes par lesquels le juge admet ces pouvoirs lient étroitement la reconnaissance de ceux-ci à la nécessité de fait des mesures adoptées, en dépit d’une distinction indispensable. Enfin, l’origine le plus souvent textuelle des pouvoirs conditionne leur régime : issus du texte, ils y restent soumis. / Broadly defined, implicit powers are powers that the judge deduces by interpreting the text of an express provision beyond the very meaning of the terms.The link between the power and the text from which it is deduced may vary: the power can be admitted on the basis of a specific provision or can derive from an extended view of the remit of the authority which receives this power. However, the same reasoning is at work in each case: we must presume that the author intended that his text shall fully take effect. Then we also assume that the authority has received not only all the powers explicitly described by the text, but also all those which are necessary to achieve the goals the author has assigned to this authority. Once this principle of interpretation set, the judge evaluates the requirement of an implicit power in relation with one or a body of provisions. Implicit powers have been admitted by the administrative case law. However, their designation is most often doubtful. Furthermore, the terms used by the judge fortheir recognition tightly connect their acceptance to the de facto necessity of the measures taken, despite a necessary differentiation between the one and the other. At last, the fact that this powers most often originate from a text determines their status, for the spirit of the text, if not the letter, still limits them.

Com o desenvolvimento do comércio internacional, buscou-se revitalizar um instituto de resolução de litígios que evitasse a intervenção do Estado e não fosse formalista, complicado, alheio ao pragmatismo e à celeridade dos negócios. Nesse contexto, a arbitragem foi sendo afirmada, também no âmbito interno dos Estados, como alternativa, consagrando o exercício da liberdade de contratar. Com o objetivo de conferir celeridade ao procedimento arbitral e privilegiar a intenção das partes de submeter suas controvérsias à arbitragem, foram desenvolvidos os princípios da autonomia da convenção de arbitragem e da competência-competência. Esses princípios têm como conseqüência indireta evitar que a discussão de questões processuais e procedimentais tome proporções descabida, como ocorre no Judiciário, em que muitas vezes a matéria de mérito fica relegada a segundo plano. A autonomia da convenção de arbitragem em relação ao contrato é essencial para que se respeite o acordo de vontade das partes de submeter todas e quaisquer controvérsias à arbitragem, em que se incluem as alegações de invalidade ou inexistência do contrato principal. Ao se permitir que essas alegações afetem a jurisdição dos árbitros, confere-se poderosas ferramentas nas mãos das partes recalcitrantes. Competência-competência significa conceder ao árbitro o poder de decidir quaisquer questões relacionadas à sua jurisdição ou à validade da convenção de arbitragem sem a interferência prévia do Poder Judiciário. Esse princípio permite que o árbitro analise, com base na lei de regência da convenção de arbitragem, a validade e âmbito de aplicação da convenção de arbitragem e, como conseqüência, impede que o Judiciário decida a questão em paralelo. Esse princípio é um dos mais importantes e controvertidos da arbitragem internacional. Apesar de ter sido adotado pela maioria dos Estados, concedendo ao princípio um ar de unanimidade, segue sendo objeto de divergência quanto à sua interpretação. / With the development of international commerce it became important to revive a dispute resolution system free from government intervention, less formal and formalistic, simple, and updated with business\' pragmatism and speed. In this context arbitration was also confirmed domestically, as an alternative to Courts, enhancing the freedom to contract. Two principles were developed in order to promote efficiency into the arbitral proceedings and privilege parties\' intention to submit the controversies to arbitration: severability and competence-competence. The indirect consequence of such principles is to avoid time consuming procedural incidents as it occurs in litigation, where the merits of the dispute often are neglected to a second level. Arbitration agreements autonomy from the main contract or severability is essential in order to assure that the will of the parties to submit the controversies to arbitration will be respected and this includes the allegation that the main contract is void or inexistent. If these allegations were allowed to affect the arbitrator\'s jurisdiction, it would be a powerful weapon in the hands of parties wanting to avoid arbitration. Competence-competence is the ability of the arbitrator to decide any issues related to his jurisdiction or to the validity of the arbitration agreement without previous interference of Courts. This principle allows the arbitrator to decide the validity and scope of the arbitration agreement, based on its proper law, and as a consequence impedes the Courts to role in parallel. This principle is one of the most important and controversial of international arbitration. Even though adopted by most of the countries, granting the principle a status of unanimity, there is still plenty of disagreement in relation to its interpretation.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo estudar a figura do amicus curiae e sua influência na democratização da jurisdição constitucional, por meio da pluralização do debate nos processos de controle de constitucionalidade abstrato de leis e atos normativos no Brasil. Inicia-se a análise do instituto por meio do estudo de suas origens mais remotas, enfatizando-se a importância de sua evolução no common law inglês e, posteriormente, sua tradição no âmbito do constitucionalismo norte-americano, onde alcançou amplo desenvolvimento e especial notoriedade, sem se olvidar, contudo, dos demais ordenamentos jurídicos estrangeiros (especialmente de família romano-germânica) e supranacionais que o adotam. A partir das constatações de caráter histórico e evolucional, chega-se ao ponto principal da pesquisa, que é, justamente, a análise da inserção da figura no ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, desde suas primeiras manifestações (CVM, CADE e INPI) até as mais recentes inovações legislativas, com ênfase ao disposto no artigo 7.º, § 2.º, da Lei 9.868/99 (e seu sentido teleológico), que positivou a atuação do amicus curiae nos processos de controle abstrato de constitucionalidade. Analisa-se, também, o regime jurídico adotado pelo ordenamento brasileiro, bem como todos os seus desdobramentos, ressaltando-se, a todo o momento, a essencialidade da democratização dos debates nos processos de controle abstrato de constitucionalidade e pugnando-se pelo fim do monopólio da hermenêutica constitucional, com vista à implementação efetiva da sociedade aberta de intérpretes da Constituição, na concepção de Peter Häberle. Com isso, o Supremo Tribunal Federal, enquanto guardião da Constituição e principal intérprete da Lei Maior, passa a ter condições de tomar conhecimento de elementos informativos e das razões constitucionais daqueles que, embora não tenham legitimidade para deflagrar o processo de controle de constitucionalidade, serão os destinatários diretos da decisão a ser proferida. Nessa seara, sustenta-se que a abertura interpretativa constitui verdadeira condição de legitimidade da jurisdição constitucional, inafastável no âmbito do Estado Democrático de Direito. / The purpose of this work is to study the amicus curiae structure and its influence in the democratization of the constitutional jurisdiction, by pluralizing the debate in abstract control of constitutionality processes related to laws and normative rulings in Brazil. Such structure is analyzed by studying its most remote origins, emphasizing the importance of its development in the English common law and, subsequently, its tradition within the US constitutionalism scope, where it was able to fully develop and reach special acclaim, without, however, dismissing the other foreign legal systems (mainly those of Roman- Germanic family) and the supranational systems adopting it. From verifications of historic and developmental nature, one reaches the core issue of the study, which is precisely to analyze the insertion of the mentioned amicus curiae structure into the Brazilian legal system, from its very first appearances (CVM, CADE and INPI) until the most recent legislative innovations, focusing on the provision in article 7, § 2, of Law no. 9,868/99 (in its teleological sense), which approved the amicus curiae activities in abstract control of constitutionality processes. Furthermore, this study will also analyze the legal regime adopted by the Brazilian legal system, as well as all the unfoldings thereof, always pointing out the essential need for the democratization of the debates within such abstract control of constitutionality processes and defending the end of the constitutional hermeneutic monopoly, aiming at the effective implementation of an open group of interpreters of the Constitution, according to Peter Häberle. With this, the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court, as the guardian of the Constitution and principal interpreter of its Law, is able to be cognizant of informative elements of the constitutional reasons of those that, although lacking legitimacy to trigger the constitutionality control process, will be the direct receivers of decisions to be adjudicated. Within this field, it is sustained that the interpretative opening constitutes a true condition of constitutional jurisdiction legitimacy, not to be ruled out in a Democratic State of Law.