Electronic commerce from a private international law perspective The objective of this thesis is to study how the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) is applied in the field of electronic commerce and compare it to the United Nations Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts in regard to the prevailing tendency to remove legal barriers to electronic commerce. The comparison is made in terms of geographic and material scope, forms of contract and how contracts are formed. An analysis of conditions and obstacles to the application of the CISG within the field of electronic commerce represents the core of the work. The thesis is based on the assumption that the Convention on the Use of Electronic Communications in International Contracts is an instrument which helps to overcome identified obstacles. The thesis formulates a conclusion on overcoming just one of the obstacles on the basis of the principle of technological neutrality, and it further demonstrates that the requirement of being in written form may remain an obstacle. As such, the thesis is a response to the question of why the Convention is signed and ratified by a relatively small number of states.

O consumidor é o agente vulnerável na relação de consumo internacional. O processo de globalização se apresenta, para o consumidor, como uma globalização do consumo. A globalização do consumo se caracteriza pelo comércio e fornecimento internacional de produtos e serviços por empresários/fornecedores transnacionais/globais, utilizando marcas de renome mundial, acessíveis a todos os consumidores do planeta, e agrava a vulnerabilidade do consumidor no mercado. A proteção jurídica do consumidor internacional é uma necessidade que os sistemas jurídicos nacionais não se mostram aptos a prover adequadamente, assim como o Direito Internacional também não. A presente tese demonstra a deficiência da Ciência do Direito na proteção do consumidor no contexto da globalização; demonstra como o próprio comércio internacional é prejudicado ao não priorizar de maneira absoluta e efetiva a proteção do consumidor na OMC, bem como ao mostrar-se apático diante dos diferentes níveis de proteção proporcionada aos consumidores em cada diferente sistema jurídico nacional; demonstra, também, como a proteção do consumidor de maneira uniforme e global por um direito comum aos Estados é possível e será capaz de tornar mais eficiente economicamente o processo de globalização do consumo, ao encorajar a participação mais intensa do consumidor no mercado internacional; e propõe a construção de um novo ramo do Direito dedicado ao problema, o Direito Internacional do Consumidor (DIC), por meio da elaboração de uma Teoria do Direito Internacional do Consumidor. O Direito Internacional do Consumidor pretende ser um direito comum e universal de proteção ao consumidor, fundado em métodos, conceitos, institutos, normas e princípios jurídicos universais. O DIC dialogará com outros ramos do Direito Público e Privado, especialmente o Direito Internacional Econômico, o Direito Internacional do Comércio, o Direito Internacional Privado, o Direito Processual Civil Internacional, e o Direito do Consumidor. Pretende-se com isto atender ao ideal de promover o livre comércio internacional com respeito aos Direitos Humanos. / The consumer is the weak party in the cross-border consumer relation. The globalization process presents itself for the consumer as a globalization of consumers relations. The globalization of consumers relations is defined by international commerce and supply of products and services by transnational/global entrepreneurs/ suppliers, using global renowned brands names, available for all consumers of the planet, aggravating the consumers vulnerability in the market. The juridical international consumers protection is a necessity that has not been properly dealt with neither by the national legal systems nor by International Law. The present thesis shows the deficiency of Juridical Science to consumers protection in a globalization context; it shows how international commerce suffers harms when it does not prioritize the consumers protection in WTO, and when it has no reaction against different consumers protections levels by the distinct national legislation; it also shows, how consumers protection by a global and uniform law for all States is possible and can be more economically efficient for the process of globalization of consumers relations, because it encourages a intensive consumer participation in the international market; and proposes to build a new branch of law dedicated to the problem, the International Consumer Law (ICL), by a Theory of International Consumer Law. The International Consumer Law intends to be a general and universal law about consumers protection, based on universal methods, concepts, institutes, rules and principles. The ICL is going to dialogue with others branches of law, specially with International Economic Law, Global Trade Law, Private International Law (Conflict of Laws), Transnational Litigation Law, Consumer Protection Law and Products Liability Law. The intention of this thesis is to deal with the ideal of promoting free international trade taking into account respect for humans rights.

Alors qu’un éternel débat oppose les défenseurs de la scission et ceux de l’unité successorale, la professio juris donne une nouvelle perspective à la question de la détermination du droit applicable à une succession internationale, à travers le prisme de l’autonomie de la volonté et de la prévisibilité juridique. En conférant au de cujus la faculté de désigner lui-même le droit qui régira sa succession, elle lui permet d’écarter la règle de conflit objective au profit d’un ou de plusieurs rattachements de son choix et d’éviter l’incertitude reliée à l’appréciation des rattachements objectifs au moment du décès. Instaurée au Québec en 1994, cette institution n’existe que dans quelques États. Quoique présentant des intérêts indéniables en termes de planification, la professio juris a éveillé la crainte que le de cujus ne l’utilise que pour éluder les règles impératives du droit objectivement applicable, dont ses dispositions protectrices comme la réserve héréditaire. Deux types de limites à la professio juris ont ainsi émergé, restreignant l’éventail de lois parmi lesquelles le de cujus peut choisir et proscrivant ensuite certains effets de la désignation. Ce mémoire repose sur l’étude comparative des balises instituées dans plusieurs législations qui connaissent la professio juris, afin d’apporter un certain éclairage sur sa portée au Québec. Cette grille d’analyse permet également d’examiner comment la professio juris a été circonscrite dans d’autres États, de constater qu’elle peut offrir des avenues de planification qui n’ont pas été retenues au Québec et de porter un regard critique sur ces restrictions. / While an endless debate opposes the proponents of scission with the proponents of unity of succession, the professio juris offers a new option. The professio juris allows for the determination of the law applicable to an international succession to be evaluated through the perspective of a will’s autonomy and of legal predictability. By conferring to the deceased the ability to designate the law which would govern their succession, they may circumvent the rule of objective conflict in favour of one or more of the Connecting factors of their choice, and thus to avoid the incertitude linked to the evaluation of the objective Connecting factors upon their death. This institution, established in Quebec in 1994, exists only in certain states. Though advantageous in estate planning, the professio juris raised the apprehension that the deceased may use it in order to circumvent imperative rules of the objectively applicable law, and particularly its protective dispositions such as the hereditary reserve. Two limitations of the professio juris then emerged, firstly, restricting the number of laws from amongst which the deceased can choose, and secondly, limiting some of the possible consequences of said choice. This report is a comparative study of the limitations in effect in legislations that recognize the professio juris, in an attempt to clarify Quebec’s. Moreover, this study will analyse how the professio juris has been implemented in other states, observing that it can offer planning possibilities that are unavailable in Quebec, and, finally, to take a critical assessment of those limitations.

Cette thèse précise les conditions dans lesquelles les tribunaux judiciaires canadiens peuvent intervenir avant ou durant un arbitrage commercial international, soit afin d'y prêter assistance, soit afin d'en contrôler la légalité. Elle soumet également ces conditions à l'analyse critique, dans le but d'esquisser une théorie générale de l'intervention avant et durant un arbitrage commercial international des juges oeuvrant dans les États qui ont choisi d'accorder leur concours à la justice arbitrale internationale. Principalement, cette théorie repose sur l'idée selon laquelle l'intervention judiciaire survenant avant le prononcé de la sentence ne doit - à quelques exceptions près - servir que les intérêts des opérateurs du commerce international, les intérêts publics prépondérants ne devant être pris en compte que dans l'élaboration des conditions de l'intervention judiciaire survenant après le prononcé de la sentence. De cette idée directrice découlent deux conséquences majeures. D'abord, les ordres juridiques des États qui accordent leur concours à la justice arbitrale internationale doivent être perméables à des faits normatifs transnationaux qui s'intéressent à l'intervention judiciaire avant et durant un arbitrage commercial international, car l'adoption d'une loi ayant vocation à régir spécialement l'arbitrage commercial international ne peut jamais - à elle seule - assurer que les tribunaux judiciaires agiront de manière pleinement satisfaisante. Ensuite, les conditions de cette intervention doivent surtout avoir pour objectif d'accroître l'efficacité - envisagée du point de vue des opérateurs du commerce international - de ce système de justice internationale. / This thesis sets out the conditions under which Canadian courts can intervene prior to and during an international commercial arbitration, either to assist the arbitral process or to control its legality. These conditions are also analyzed in a critical manner, with a view to elaborating a general theory of judicial intervention prior to and during an international commercial arbitration in States that have chosen to support international arbitral justice. This theory essentially rests on the idea that judicial intervention occurring before the rendering of the award must almost entirely be geared towards satisfying the interests of international business operators, as superior public interests need only be reflected in the conditions under which courts may intervene after an award has been rendered. Two major consequences flow from this idea. Firstly, the legal orders of States that have chosen to support international arbitral justice must be permeable to transnational normative facts which relate to judicial intervention prior to and during an international commercial arbitration, as the adoption of legislation dealing specifically with international commercial arbitration can never - in itself - ensure that courts will act in a fully satisfactory manner. Secondly, the conditions of such intervention must essentially be aimed at increasing the efficiency - assessed from the point of view of international business operators - of this system of international justice. / "Thèse présentée à la Faculté des études supérieures de l'Université de Montréal en vue de l'obtention du grade de Docteur en droit (LL.D.) et à l'Université Panthéon-Assas (Paris II) Droit-économie-Sciences Sociales en vue de l'obtention du grade de Docteur en droit (Arrêté du 30 mars 1992 modifié par l'arrêté du 25 avril 2002)"

La faillite internationale est une matière complexe qui a donné lieu à un long et vif débat doctrinal entre les tenants des systèmes de la territorialité et de l'universalité. Une faillite est internationale lorsqu'elle met en présence un débiteur possédant des biens ou des créanciers dans plus d'un pays. Puisque la matière de faillite est souvent très différente d'un pays à l'autre, l'application du système de la pluralité, retenue dans la plupart des pays, soulève plusieurs problèmes particulièrement en ce qui concerne la coordination entre les diverses faillites et le manque de protection des créanciers, notamment parce qu'elle accorde des effets limités à la reconnaissance des procédures de faillite étrangères. En effet, en présence de procédures de faillite concurrentes il s'agit de répondre aux questions suivantes: quelle est la juridiction compétente pour ouvrir et organiser la faillite? Quelle est la loi applicable? Dans quels États cette faillite va-t-elle produire des effets? Dans le présent mémoire, il s'agit d'établir une comparaison entre le système canadien et le système européen en matière de faillite internationale. Le législateur canadien a récemment envisagé de modifier sa législation sur la faillite pour permettre une meilleure coopération internationale en matière de faillite internationale. Le projet canadien C-55 reprend pour l'essentiel les dispositions contenues dans la loi-type de la commission des Nations-Unis pour le droit commercial international (CNUDCI) sur «l'insolvabilité internationale». Ainsi, il permet de faciliter réellement la reconnaissance des décisions de faillite étrangères, il accorde une plus grande portée aux effets de cette reconnaissance et il prévoit une coordination des procédures multiples en établissant une «hiérarchisation» des procédures de faillite relativement semblable au système européen. Cependant, le projet canadien atteint moins bien l'objectif d'universalité que le Règlement européen 1346/2000 au niveau du traitement égalitaire entre les créanciers locaux et les créanciers étrangers. Si la loi-type offre à tous les États une utilité pratique considérable pour les nombreux cas de coopération internationale, l'harmonisation de la faillite internationale dépendra de son adoption dans les différentes législations. Bien que plusieurs pays aient inséré ce modèle dans leur législation sur la faillite, il n'est pas encore possible, à l'heure actuelle, de parler d'un droit international de la faillite. / International insolvency is a complex subject that has given rise to a long and sharp doctrinal debate between supporters of systems of territorialism and of universality. An insolvency is international where a debtor possesses goods or creditors in more than one country. Since the matter of bankruptcy is often very different from one country to another, the application of the system of plurality, which is retained in the majority of countries, raises several problems, particularly with regard to the coordination between several bankruptcies and the lack of protection of creditors, largely because plurality grants effects that are limited to the recognition of the foreign bankruptcy procedures. Indeed, in the presence of concurrent procedures of bankruptcy, the following questions must be addressed: Which is the court having jurisdiction to open and organize the bankruptcy? Which law is applicable? In which States will this bankruptcy produce effects? This thesis will establish a comparison between the Canadian system and the European system with respect to international bankruptcy. The Canadian legislator recently planned to modify its legislation on bankruptcy in order to better foster international co-operation in the realm of international bankruptcy. The Canadian Bill C-55 largely reiterates the provisions contained in the Model Law on cross border insolvency (UNCITRAL). Bill C-55 thus facilitates the recognition of foreign decisions of bankruptcy, it grants a greater scope to the effects of this recognition and it aims to coordinate multiple bankruptcy procedures by establishing a "hierarchisation" there of that is relatively similar to the European system. However, the Canadian project does not achieve the goal of universality as well as does the European regulation 1346/2000 with respect to equal treatment between local creditors and foreign creditors. If the Model Law offers all States the considerable practical utility for many incidences of international co-operation, the harmonization of international bankruptcy will depend on the adoption of the Model Law in various domestic legislations. Although several countries have inserted this model in their legislation on bankruptcy, it is not yet possible, at the present time, to speak of an international law of bankruptcy.

No description available.

L'adoption du règlement n° 1/2003 a décentralisé la mise en oeuvre des articles 101 et 102 TFUE et a entraîné la création du Réseau européen de la concurrence. Désormais, les autorités nationales et la Commission partagent la responsabilité de l'application des règles de concurrence de l'Union européenne au sein du Réseau. Le fonctionnement de celui-ci obéit à la logique de la méthode du conflit d'autorités. Ainsi, la question de la compétence des autorités pour traiter une affaire a une importance primordiale dans le contexte du Réseau. Elle détermine la loi applicable à l'inégralité de l'affaire et exerce une influence sur les effets extraterritoriaux des décisions. Les autorités de concurrence emploient une grande variété de méthodes de coopération et de coordination afin d'éviter des conflits de compétence et les solutions contradictoires au sein du Réseau. Malgré la coopération étroite des autorités, les divergences des règles de procédure sont susceptibles de miner l'efficacité de la mise en oeuvre des articles 101 et 102 TFUE ainsi qu'éroder la protection des droits fondamentaux. / The entry into force of Regulation 1/2003 resulted in the decentralisation of the application of articles 101 et 102 TFEU. The national authorities and the Commission share the responsibility for the enforcement of the EU competition rules and form together the European Competition Network. According to the theory of conflict of authorities, the designation of the competent authority to deal with a case is crucial for the functioning of the Network, since it determines the applicable law to the case and the extraterritorial effect of the decision. Despite the cooperation and coordination mechanisms at the authorities's disposal, the divergences in national procedural rules can undermine not only the goal of efficient enforcement of competition rules in the EU, but also the protection of fundemantal rights.

O consumidor é o agente vulnerável na relação de consumo internacional. O processo de globalização se apresenta, para o consumidor, como uma globalização do consumo. A globalização do consumo se caracteriza pelo comércio e fornecimento internacional de produtos e serviços por empresários/fornecedores transnacionais/globais, utilizando marcas de renome mundial, acessíveis a todos os consumidores do planeta, e agrava a vulnerabilidade do consumidor no mercado. A proteção jurídica do consumidor internacional é uma necessidade que os sistemas jurídicos nacionais não se mostram aptos a prover adequadamente, assim como o Direito Internacional também não. A presente tese demonstra a deficiência da Ciência do Direito na proteção do consumidor no contexto da globalização; demonstra como o próprio comércio internacional é prejudicado ao não priorizar de maneira absoluta e efetiva a proteção do consumidor na OMC, bem como ao mostrar-se apático diante dos diferentes níveis de proteção proporcionada aos consumidores em cada diferente sistema jurídico nacional; demonstra, também, como a proteção do consumidor de maneira uniforme e global por um direito comum aos Estados é possível e será capaz de tornar mais eficiente economicamente o processo de globalização do consumo, ao encorajar a participação mais intensa do consumidor no mercado internacional; e propõe a construção de um novo ramo do Direito dedicado ao problema, o Direito Internacional do Consumidor (DIC), por meio da elaboração de uma Teoria do Direito Internacional do Consumidor. O Direito Internacional do Consumidor pretende ser um direito comum e universal de proteção ao consumidor, fundado em métodos, conceitos, institutos, normas e princípios jurídicos universais. O DIC dialogará com outros ramos do Direito Público e Privado, especialmente o Direito Internacional Econômico, o Direito Internacional do Comércio, o Direito Internacional Privado, o Direito Processual Civil Internacional, e o Direito do Consumidor. Pretende-se com isto atender ao ideal de promover o livre comércio internacional com respeito aos Direitos Humanos. / The consumer is the weak party in the cross-border consumer relation. The globalization process presents itself for the consumer as a globalization of consumers relations. The globalization of consumers relations is defined by international commerce and supply of products and services by transnational/global entrepreneurs/ suppliers, using global renowned brands names, available for all consumers of the planet, aggravating the consumers vulnerability in the market. The juridical international consumers protection is a necessity that has not been properly dealt with neither by the national legal systems nor by International Law. The present thesis shows the deficiency of Juridical Science to consumers protection in a globalization context; it shows how international commerce suffers harms when it does not prioritize the consumers protection in WTO, and when it has no reaction against different consumers protections levels by the distinct national legislation; it also shows, how consumers protection by a global and uniform law for all States is possible and can be more economically efficient for the process of globalization of consumers relations, because it encourages a intensive consumer participation in the international market; and proposes to build a new branch of law dedicated to the problem, the International Consumer Law (ICL), by a Theory of International Consumer Law. The International Consumer Law intends to be a general and universal law about consumers protection, based on universal methods, concepts, institutes, rules and principles. The ICL is going to dialogue with others branches of law, specially with International Economic Law, Global Trade Law, Private International Law (Conflict of Laws), Transnational Litigation Law, Consumer Protection Law and Products Liability Law. The intention of this thesis is to deal with the ideal of promoting free international trade taking into account respect for humans rights.

En ce début de XXIe siècle, le droit international privé intervient dans un contexte caractérisé à la fois par la multiplication des relations familiales internationales, conséquence de la mobilité croissante des personnes privées, et la montée d’un individualisme qui rechigne toujours davantage à composer avec les contraintes collectives. Ces changements conduisent à une contestation croissante des obstacles à la reconnaissance des situations familiales qui impose de repenser à la fois le cadre théorique et les méthodes de la discipline. Sur le premier plan, il est proposé de consacrer un nouveau principe directeur, l’impératif de reconnaissance des situations familiales, qui reflète à la fois la prédominance effective des intérêts privés et la matérialisation d’une discipline autrefois éprise de justice conflictuelle, et permet d’afficher plus clairement ce qui doit désormais constituer la réaction dominante du for face à une situation familiale constituée à l’étranger. Sur le plan des méthodes, l’enjeu est de traduire le nouvel impératif, ce qui doit consister à libéraliser l’accueil des situations familiales constituées à l’étranger sans aller jusqu’à supprimer tous les chefs de contrôle. Plusieurs voies sont envisageables, qui vont du simple infléchissement des méthodes existantes à la consécration d’une nouvelle méthode de la reconnaissance des situations familiales. Entre ces différentes possibilités, des choix s’imposent qui mêlent technique et politique juridiques, et impliquent de prendre en compte tant les enseignements de la théorie générale du droit international privé que la dimension européenne de la problématique. / Private international law today has to contend with social realities that have evolved markedly over the course of the last few decades. As a result of increased mobility across national borders, international families are ever more numerous and so are instances where recognition of a family status acquired abroad is sought. The effects of this change are compounded by a greater focus on individual agency and self-determination, which leads to stronger challenges to State policies that result in non-recognition. A change in how we understand and ‘do’ private international law seems warranted on two levels. The first change relates to the so-called guiding principles which encapsulate the various aims pursued by the field and can thus provide a useful conceptual framework. I suggest that adding a state duty to recognize a family status created abroad to the existing principles would help strike a better balance between private interests in facilitating recognition and the public interest in the regulation of family forms. This shift necessitates changes on another level, that of the private international law’s methods. Combining easier recognition of foreign family relationships with some degree of state control can be achieved in various ways which range from incremental change to existing methodology to a complete overhaul in the form of a new method of automatic recognition. This raises issues of both technique and policy, which are discussed in the second part of this work from a French and European perspective.

L’interaction du droit de l’Union européenne avec le droit international privé se manifeste avec une acuité particulière en matière de lois de police, continuant et renouvelant les discussions suscitées par celles-ci. La promotion des intérêts de l’Union européenne par ce mécanisme de DIP peut être facilement observée. Il reste que des questions peuvent surgir quant à l’aménagement, dans les systèmes juridiques nationaux, de l’articulation des lois de police de source nationale et européenne. Le transfert de certaines compétences des Etats membres vers l’Union, le rapprochement des législations des Etats membres ou le poids plus important accordé aux raisonnements et aux intérêts européens au moment de la qualification mettent en lumière une catégorie « lois de police » avec des contours nouveaux. La mise en oeuvre des lois de police porte, elle aussi, l’empreinte de l’influence du droit de l’Union européenne. L’intégration des données liées à la réalisation du marché intérieur entraîne une perturbation significative du mécanisme traditionnel des lois de police, accompagnée d’une diminution de l’efficacité de ces normes dans les relations entre les Etats membres. L’objectif de création, au sein de l’Union, d’un espace de liberté, de sécurité et de justice s’est matérialisé par la mise en place de corps de règles européennes de DIP dans diverses matières. La méthode des lois de police en ressort transformée, suite tant à la prise de position directe du législateur européen sur les conditions de son intervention, qu’en raison des évolutions enregistrées par d’autres méthodes concurrentes de droit international privé. / The interaction between the European Union law and the private international law is particularly acute in the field of internationally mandatory rules, maintaining and renewing the debate which always accompanied this kind of norms. If the internationally mandatory rules occupy a special place in the European legislation, being an extremely effective tool of European policy, some difficulties arise as to the articulation, in the Member States’ legal systems, of the both national and European different sources of lois de police. The transfer of powers from Member States to the European Union, the harmonization of national legislations and the greater weight given to European reasoning and interests at the time of qualification highlight a new dimension of the internationally mandatory rules concept. Also the implementation of internationally mandatory rules is highly influenced by the European Union Law. The Member States’ obligations concerning the completing of the internal market and the removal of restrictions to changes involve a significant disturbance to this traditional PIL mechanism; a decrease in the effectiveness of internationally mandatory rules in relations between Member States may be observed. The purpose of establishing an area of freedom, security and justice within the European Union was materialized in the establishment of European private international law rules in various fields; the internationally mandatory rules method is transformed as a result of the European legislator direct intervention on his definition and regime, but also as a result of the evolution that affects other concurring private international law methods.