In the current globalized world with its high level of international migration, international marriage is not something uncommon. As a result of population migration, for example, the marriage of two persons of different nationalities occurs. This thesis defines matrimonial law in the context of private international law. It offers an insight into the conflict of laws surrounding the issues of marriage with an international element, defining the form in which the international element can arise in international matrimonial law. National, EU and international legislation is taken into account when dealing with the issues surrounding conflict of laws. In addition to the introduction and conclusion, the thesis is divided into six chapters. The first three chapters contain the theoretical aspects, which is crucial for understanding the topic of the thesis. The remaining three chapters deal with specific institutions within matrimonial law. The first chapter defines the concepts of marriage, private international law, and marriage in the context of private international law, which includes a brief look at the historical development of this branch of law. The second chapter focuses on an overview of the sources of legislation at the national, EU and international level, including their interrelationship....

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This dissertation contends that to appropriately address important cross-border problems and pursue public interest(s) in an increasingly globalized world, we must deal directly with the more complex, networked, interdependent and hybrid governance forms which have grown increasingly common alongside globalization. Consequently this, dissertation examines the largely unexplored possibility of commercial contracts to act as a governance tool capable of improving the ethical quality and effectiveness of global agri-food governance to address critical challenges in that sector. These include those associated with food safety, ecological sustainability and biodiversity, gender equality, access to food, poor working conditions, inequality as well as issues of representation and inclusion in decision-making. To do so, the dissertation advances a novel conceptual framework of commercial contracting that opens up space to explore and identify features of contracting which enable it to go beyond private interests to also address public ones. To demonstrate this, the dissertation utilizes empirics from my case study, which is grounded in the transnational pineapple value chain between Ghana and Western Europe. This dissertation makes four key contributions to knowledge. First, it has developed a novel and generalizable conceptual framework of contractual governance through which activists and policymakers can address critical global agri-food governance challenges. It has also advanced practical options to do so. Second, this dissertation has important implications for global and private agri-food governance literatures, which have ignored the commercial contract and the influential role that it plays in the governance of food. Third, this thesis contributes to a body of existing literature indicating that “private” governance arrangements may be more capable than many often given them credit for in governing in democratically legitimate ways over issue areas of broad public interest. Finally, this thesis contributes empirical data in a field and area of study which is notoriously opaque and inaccessible. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This dissertation examines the potential of private contracts to increase the sustainable and ethical production and consumption of food. It argues that contracts are more capable of regulating over important issues that are of common concern than they are given credit for. It also argues that commercial contracts have particular features that make them well-suited to regulating long-distance relationships that span the borders of countries and include a variety of different stakeholders. This is noteworthy, because the regulation of long-distance relationships is becoming both more common and important in the world today. To demonstrate my arguments, the dissertation uses data taken from interviews with pineapple farmers and exporting companies in Ghana who produce pineapple for supermarkets in Europe. It also draws on interviews from public regulators in the European Commission, and international organizations, as well as lawyers, academics and private standard-setting bodies in agriculture such as GlobalGAP.

Thesis (LLD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Trusts are used for a variety of purposes, both in South Africa and abroad. Like so many other entities, trusts often do not function only in one jurisdiction and may therefore be exposed to international double taxation. South Africa, like most other states, enters into bi-lateral double taxation treaties, to limit the effects of international double taxation. Most of these treaties are based on the OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital (the OECD MTC). The South African trust is a unique creature. It is not based on the dual ownership concept on which most common law trusts are based, yet, it is not a juristic person either. The question that this research aims to address is how South Africa will interpret and apply certain provisions of the OECD MTC to trusts. Although the South African position is investigated, it is compared to the positions of the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands. The dissertation starts with an analysis of the trust law in each of the relevant states, followed by an overview of the taxation regime governing trusts (and the parties thereto) in each state. The status of double taxation treaties and their interpretation are examined before certain critical provisions of the OECD MTC are analysed to determine how South Africa will apply these provisions to trusts. Hence it is explored whether a trust will be regarded as a person, whether it may be a resident and a beneficial owner for purposes of the OECD MTC. Furthermore, possible solutions for conflicts of attribution in the application of double tax conventions to trusts are investigated. The dissertation concludes that South Africa will regard a trust as a person for purposes of the OECD MTC. Moreover, some types of trusts may be viewed as residents and as beneficial owners for purposes of the OECD MTC. The solution proposed in the OECD’s Partnership Report should be applied to resolve conflicts of attribution involving trusts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Trusts word vir ‘n groot verskeidenheid doeleindes gebruik, nie net in Suid-Afrika nie, maar ook in die buiteland. Net soos baie ander entiteite funksioneer trusts baie keer nie net in een jurisdiksie nie. Trusts word dus ook blootgestel aan internasionale dubbelbelasting. Soos die meeste ander state, sluit Suid-Afrika dubbelbelastingooreenkomste om die effek van internasionale dubbelbelasting te beperk. Die meeste van hierdie ooreenkomste is gebaseer op die OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital (die OECD MTC). Die Suid-Afrikaanse trust het ‘n unieke aard. Dit is nie gebaseer op die konsep van verdeelde eiendomsreg waarop die meeste gemeenregtelike trusts gebasseer is nie, maar tog is dit ook nie ‘n regspersoon nie. Die vraag wat hierdie navorsing probeer beantwoord is hoe Suid-Afrika sekere bepalings van die OECD MTC sal interpreteer en toepas op trusts. Alhoewel die Suid-Afrikaanse posisie ondersoek word, word dit deurgaans vergelyk met die posisie in die Verenigde Koningkryk, Kanada en Nederland. Die proefskrif begin met ‘n analise van die trustreg in elk van die betrokke state en word gevolg deur ‘n oorsig van die belastingstelsel wat trusts (en die partye daartoe) belas in elk van die state. Die status van dubbelbelastingooreenkomste en hul interpretasie word ondersoek voordat sekere kritiese bepalings van die OECD MTC geanaliseer word om vas te stel hoe Suid-Afrika hierdie bepalings sal toepas op trusts. Daar word dus ondersoek of ‘n trust beskou sal word as ‘n persoon, of dit ‘n inwoner en ‘n uiteindelik geregtigde kan wees vir doeleindes van die OECD MTC. Voorts word moontlike oplossings vir toerekeningskonflikte in die toepassing van dubbelbelastingooreenkomste op trusts, ondersoek. Die proefskrif kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat in Suid-Afrika die trust beskou sal word as ‘n persoon vir doeleindes van die OECD MTC. Verder sal sommige tipes trusts gesien word as inwoners en as uiteindelik geregtigdes vir doeleindes van die OECD MTC. Die oplossing voorgestel in die OECD se Verslag oor Vennootskappe behoort toegepas te word om toerekeningskonflikte op te los.

Thesis (LLD (Private Law))--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / The objective of this study is to examine the significance of introducing and strengthening apartment ownership in China. The research aims to explore and scrutinize various apartment ownership options from selected jurisdictions in order to provide a framework for similar legislation in China. Hence, the research seeks to provide a legislative framework for a uniform condominium statute by closely examining the South African Sectional Titles Act and the American Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act. This comparative study will help to establish a uniform condominium statute suitable to the Chinese national character and compatible with the pace of the country’s economic development. The thesis is organized into seven chapters. The first chapter explains the research topic, theoretical basis of the thesis, and research methodology. Moreover, in this chapter the historical background and status quo of Chinese condominium institution are also illustrated. Following this introduction, Chapter Two explores the theoretical structure of condominium ownership. It depicts the legislative innovation arising from its sui generis features and explains the objects of condominium ownership on the basis of its unique definition. In Chapter Three, a wide spectrum of provisions is identified pertaining to the creation of condominium in China with reference to South African and American acts. Specifically, it observes the requirements for land intended for subdivision and the buildings that comprise a condominium project. It is highlighted that a condominium’s constitutive document is unregulated in China. Moreover, the characteristic Chinese land registration procedure is also presented. Chapter Four demonstrates the significance of the participation quota and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of different participation quota calculating methods. Chapter Five emphasizes that inherent in the condominium living is the interdependence of interests among unit owners. Consequently, this chapter focuses on condominium owners’ use and enjoyment of their apartments and the common property. Chapter Six elaborates on condominium management. This chapter examines the management body, the general meeting, the executive council and the managing agent. It concludes that having a well-structured management body is essential since a condominium community cannot function efficiently without a management association to represent all of the owners and to handle day-to-day operations. The last chapter concludes that China needs to enact a uniform condominium to protect private interests within the condominium context.

The Brussels I-Regulation, often referred to as the Jurisdiction Regulation, is said to be the matrix of the European judicial cooperation system within the area of international private law. The Regulation states how jurisdiction is to be determined in an international dispute. The aim of the Regulation is to ensure that parties in a dispute within the EU have access to justice.The Regulation is considered to be working well in general, and have been since it came in-to force in 2007. Although it is held to be well functioning it does not exclude that some improvements might be needed. The commission ordered a review of the Regulation and the result was that some deficiencies were identified. Some of the deficiencies that were found were concerned with the relation to defendants from third countries. It was held that the regulation was unsatisfactory in this aspect. These deficiencies resulted in the working group presenting a proposal of a review of the regulation.The aim of this thesis is to investigate some of the consequences that might come with the proposed solutions. The investigation is limited to only discussing some sections of the Regulation. The parts that will be discussed are the ones that are concerned with the rela-tion to defendants from third countries. The investigation shows that although the propos-al means positive developments within the area it is far from clear and precise. The result of these unclear rules might be that they are hard to interpret and apply.The author comes to the conclusion that although the proposal means positive and sought after development within the area of private international law it needs to be reworked due to the ambiguities with the proposed solutions. If the proposal is not reworked the EUD will probably have to interpret the meaning of the proposed rules which might lead to a time consuming and costly process.

Ce mémoire porte sur l’étude des conflits de lois et de juridictions relatifs au contrat d’assurance. Le contrat d’assurance étant un contrat des plus usité, il est intéressant d’étudier, dans un contexte de mondialisation, de globalisation des échanges, de ce qu’il en advient du contrat d’assurance dans le cadre des relations privées à caractère international. En ce sens, seront traitées des règles de conflit de lois et de juridictions relatifs au contrat d’assurance dans le cadre des instruments que sont le Règlement Rome I, le Règlement Bruxelles I Bis et la Convention de Lugano, mais également, dans celui du droit international privé québécois. Ce sera donc une approche de droit comparé qui sera adoptée au travers de cette étude. L’on verra notamment que le contrat d’assurance a donné lieu à divers traitements méthodologiques du point de vue de la résolution des conflits de lois et de juridictions. Il sera donc intéressant de comparer ces approches afin de déterminer celle qui pourrait atteindre au mieux les objectifs spécifiques du contrat d’assurance, à savoir, notamment, celui de protection de la partie faible. / This thesis is concerned with the study of the conflicts of laws and jurisdictions relating to the insurance contract. Since insurance contracts are a type of contract that is commonly used, it is worth understanding, notably in the context of economic globalization, what specifically happens to the contract of insurance within the framework of international private relations. In this sense, the rules of conflict of laws and jurisdictions relating to the insurance contract will be considered with regards to the framework of the Rome I Regulation, the Brussels I Bis Regulation and the Lugano Convention, as well as with respect to the private international law of Quebec. Therefore, a comparative law approach will be adopted through this study. It will be noticed among other things that the insurance contract has given rise to various methodological treatments with regards to the resolution of conflicts of laws and jurisdictions. It will therefore be interesting to compare these approaches in order to determine which approach could best achieve the specific objectives of the insurance contract, in particularly, the protection of the weaker party.

This thesis examines various aspects of English and Canadian charity law in terms of their relationship with the contested categories of ‘public law’ and ‘private law’. It argues that the law of charities can be regarded as a hybrid legal discipline in both a general or categorical sense, and in the context-specific or functional sense that both the conditions for obtaining charitable status, and the regulation of the conduct of charities and their trustees, are continually being adjusted in such a way as to maintain in a broad sense a functional equilibrium between individual project pursuit and collective project pursuit; that is to say, an equilibrium between the protection of the autonomy of property-owning individuals to control and direct their own wealth, and the furtherance of competing public interests or visions of the good. After sketching out the history and nature of the common law charities tradition and the contemporary English and Canadian regulatory regimes, the thesis pursues its analytical and comparative hypotheses by examining two important features of English and Canadian charity law, the public benefit doctrine and the rules of locus standi that determine who may seek relief for misapplications of charity property. It then addresses the comparatively modern issue of the governmental co-optation of charitable resources, considering to what extent modern pressures associated with the retrenchment of welfare states threaten to destabilize charity law’s hybrid equilibrium in EW and Canada. The thesis then turns to the emerging phenomenon of social enterprise, arguing that shifts to charity law’s functional equilibrium may explain the emergence of this ‘post-charitable’ legal form. The thesis concludes with some observations on the hybrid nature of the law of charities, and on the different functional equilibriums between individual project pursuit and collective project pursuit that have been reached by English and Canadian charity law.

Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / Bibliography / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis investigates the approach to non-disclosure as a form of misrepresentation in South African law. The primary focus is the question of liability, and whether parties should be able to claim relief based on non-disclosure. In order to determine this, attention is also paid to the standards which have traditionally been employed in cases of non-disclosure, and it is questioned whether a general test can be formulated which could be used in all such instances. The point of departure in this discussion is a general historical and comparative overview of the law relating to non-disclosure. This overview places the position in modern South African law in context, and highlights some of the similarities between our current position regarding non-disclosure and the position in other jurisdictions. The overview also sets out the provisions relating to non-disclosure in international legal instruments, which could be of use in interpreting concepts used in our law. The study then shifts to an exploration of the specific situations, such as the conclusion of insurance agreements, or agreements of sale involving latent defects, where South African law automatically imposes a duty of disclosure. These instances are the exception to the general rule against imposing duties of disclosure on contracting parties. The study reveals that certain principles are applied in more than one of these exceptional cases, and attention is paid to each in order to determine which principles are most prevalent. It is suggested that the nature of the relationship between the parties is the underlying reason for always imposing duties of disclosure in these circumstances. Attention is then paid to the judicial development of the law relating to non-disclosure, specifically in those cases which fall outside the recognised special cases referred to above. The remedies available to a party when they have been wronged by another’s non-disclosure are identified and investigated here, namely rescission and damages. A distinction is drawn between the treatment of non-disclosure in the contractual sphere and the approach taken in the law of delict. The different requirements for each remedy are explored and evaluated. A detailed examination of the key judgments relating to non-disclosure shows us that the judiciary apply similar principles to those identified in the discussion of the exceptional instances when deciding to impose liability based on non-disclosure. Reliance is also placed on the standards set out in the earlier historical and comparative discussion. The most prevalent of these standards are the nature of the relationship between the parties and the good faith principle. It is then considered whether all of these principles and elements could be used in order to distill one general standard that could be used to determine whether non-disclosure could give rise to relief. The conclusion is drawn that it may not be advisable to adopt such a standard, and that the seemingly fragmented treatment of non-disclosure in South African law thus far has enabled its development and will continue to do so. A number of key considerations have been identified as possible standards, and these considerations can be applied by the judiciary on a case by case basis. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek wanvoorstelling deur stilswye in die Suid-Afrikaanse kontraktereg. Die primêre fokus is op wanneer stilswye aanleiding gee tot aanspreeklikheid, en watter remedies daaruit voortvloei. Om dit vas te stel, word aandag geskenk aan die standaarde wat tradisioneel gebruik word in gevalle van stilswye, en word veral bevraagteken of 'n algemene toets formuleer kan word wat in al sulke gevalle toepassing sou kon vind. Die ondersoek begin met ‘n algemene historiese en regsvergelykende oorsig, wat die konteks verskaf vir die analise van die posisie in die moderne Suid-Afrikaanse reg, en ooreenkomste tussen hierdie posisie en die benadering in ander jurisdiksies na vore bring. Die bepalings van sekere internasionale regsinstrumente wat spesifiek met stilswye handel, word ook ondersoek om te bepaal hulle van nut kan wees by die uitleg van konsepte wat in die Suid- Afrikaanse reg gebruik word. Die fokus van die studie verskuif dan na spesifieke, uitsonderlike gevalle waar die Suid- Afrikaanse reg outomaties ‘n openbaringsplig tussen partye erken. Prominente voorbeelde is versekeringskontrakte en koopkontrakte waar die merx ‘n verborge gebrek het. Hierdie gevalle is uitsonderings op die algemene reël dat kontrakspartye nie openbaringspligte het nie. Dit kom voor dat sekere gemeenskaplike beginsels van toepassing is in sekere van die uitsonderingsgevalle, en dit word ondersoek hoekom hierdie beginsels gereeld na vore tree. Dit word ook voorgestel dat die aard van die verhouding tussen die partye die onderliggende rede is waarom ons reg openbaringspligte in hierdie spesifieke omstandighede oplê. Aandag word dan geskenk aan die regterlike ontwikkeling van die regsposisie ten opsigte van stilswye in gevalle wat nie by een van die bogenoemde erkende uitsonderings tuisgebring kan word nie. Die remedies beskikbaar aan partye wanneer hulle deur ‘n ander se stilswye benadeel is, word hier geïdentifiseer en ondersoek. Hierdie remedies is die kontraktuele remedie van aanvegting (moontlik gevolg deur teruggawe) en die deliktuele remedie van skadevergoeding. ‘n Onderskeid word ook getref tussen die hantering van stilswye in die kontraktereg en die benadering wat in die deliktereg gevolg word. Aan die hand van hierdie onderskeid word die vereistes vir albei remedies bepreek. Die belangrikste uitsprake van die howe in gevalle wat nie by die spesifieke, uitsonderlike kategorieë tuisgebring kan word nie, word dan oorweeg. Dit is duidelik dat die howe in die konteks van hierdie residuele gevalle soortgelyke beginsels geïdentifiseer het as dié wat voorgekom het by gevalle soos versekering en koop. Uit hierdie uitsprake blyk dit ook duidelik dat die howe ag slaan op soortgelyke standaarde as dié wat in die historiese en vergelykende oorsig na vore getree het. In dié verband is die aard van die partye se verhouding en die goeie trou beginsel veral prominent. Ten slotte word oorweeg of die beginsels en elemente wat hierbo geïdentifiseer is, gebruik kan word om ‘n algemene standaard te ontwikkel wat gebruik sal kan word om te bepaal of ʼn openbaringsplig ontstaan. Die gevolgtrekking word bereik dat so ‘n algemene standaard nie noodwendig die beste oplossing is nie. Die oënskynlik gefragmenteerde hantering van stilswye in die Suid-Afrikaanse het tot dusver tog regsontwikkeling bevorder, en sal waarskynlik ook voortgaan om dit te doen. ʼn Aantal kernoorwegings kan wel geïdentifiseer word, wat dan sou kon dien as moontlike standaarde wat regsontwikkeling verder sou kon bevorder, en wat deur die howe toegepas sou kon word na gelang van die spesifieke omstandighede van elke saak.

LL.M. (International Commercial Law) / The principle of party autonomy is a fundamental characteristic of private international law. The contracting parties’ freedom of choice regarding the law governing their contract is one which optimises the fundamental principle of party autonomy. It is generally accepted that a choice of a governing law by the parties should be respected by adjudicating bodies such as domestic courts and arbitral tribunals. It would often benefit contracting parties to choose a neutral legal system so that there will be a “fair playing field” in case a dispute arises between them. However, some domestic legal systems and regional, supranational and international commercial instruments limit the choice of law to that of a recognised domestic legal system. Accordingly, choosing the UNIDROIT Principles on International Commercial Contracts as governing law will, in most cases, not be a viable option for the parties concerned. Such a limitation on the choice of a governing law does not promote the fundamental principle of party autonomy, which is characteristic of private international law. Parties to an international commercial contract should be able to choose a non-state system of law to govern their contract. The UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts provide a comprehensive, complete and easily obtainable system of law compiled by legal experts in the various fields which form part of international commercial law. It follows a via media system of law with regards to Civil Law and Common Law legal systems. This paper will discuss the principle of party autonomy, as well as the possibility of a choice of non-state law, in particular the UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts, as the law governing an international commercial contract. The choice of law will be discussed with reference to the position taken in domestic courts as well as that in international arbitration. To review the impact and success of the UNIDROIT Principles in the realm of international commercial contracting, various international commercial instruments will be discussed.