<p>The globalization and the realization of a European common insurance market have increased the importance of cross border insurance contracts. Despite that, a gathered set of rules regulating cross border insurance contracts does not exist. The sets of rules within Private International Law which arises today when determining the applicable law regarding cross border insurance contracts are the law of 1993 on applicable law to certain insurance contracts (the law of 1993) and the law of 1998 on applicable law to contractual obligations (Rome Convention). Since the Rome Convention is the only Community instrument which still is in the form of a treaty, work has been done in order to convert it into a regulation, called the Rome-I-regulation. Therefore, the future Rome I-regulation is of importance for the thesis as well since it most likely will replace the Rome Convention.</p><p>Swedish law is based on the principle of party autonomy, which means that the contracting parties have the right to freely agree on the content of the contract, including the choice of law. However, the thesis shows that some limitations to the parties’ freedom of choice does exist in the different sets of rules. The thesis also examines how the two sets of rules differ concerning the extent of the freedom of choice of law. Further, the thesis investigates the distinction between the rules regarding the choice of law within the same set of rules. In addition, the objective choice of law in accordance with the sets of rules is discussed.</p><p>Which of the sets of rules that is applicable on a certain insurance contract is often difficult to foresee, particularly for someone who is not familiar with the legal systems. It is even more complicated to determine which provision in a certain set of rules that is applicable on a contracting party. Article 3 in the Rome Convention permits party autonomy regarding the choice of law in a business to business relation.</p><p>When the contract involves a consumer, the party autonomy is reduced. Here, article 5 in the Rome Convention allow the parties to choose applicable law, but the choice shall not have the result of depriving the consumer of the protection afforded to him by the mandatory rules of the law of the consumer’s country. A problem that the provision brings is that most of the insurance consumer contracts fall outside its scope since they rarely meet the criteria which the provision sets out. Instead the consumer contracts normally fall under the provisions in article 3, especially developed for businessmen on an equal level.</p><p>The law of 1993 differ between small and large risks. A free choice of law is basicly only allowed when the insurance contract involves a large risk, which mainly includes risks insured by larger companies. When the insured risk is defined as a small risk, the choice of law is limited. Only under certain circumstances are the parties allowed to choose another law than the law in the country where the policy-holder has his habitual residence or central administration, or the law of the country where the risk is situated. Insurance contracts regarding small risks are usually signed by private persons or, to a certain extent, small- or medium sized companies.</p> / <p>Gränsöverskridande försäkringsavtal har fått en ökad betydelse i takt med globaliseringen och efter genomförandet av en inre europeisk marknad på försäkringsområdet. Trots det saknas ett samlat regelverk som reglerar lagval avseende gränsöverskridande försäkringsavtal. De regelverk i svensk internationell privaträtt som idag aktualiseras vid fastställandet av tillämplig lag på gränsöverskridande skadeförsäkringsavtal är lag (1993:645) om tillämplig lag för vissa försäkringsavtal (1993 års lag) och lag (1998:167) om tillämplig lag för avtalsförpliktelser (Romkonventionen). Då Romkonventionen är det enda gemenskapsinstrument som är i formen av ett fördrag pågår det ett arbete för att omvandla konventionen till en förordning, med arbetsnamnet Rom I. Även den framtida Rom I-förordningen är av betydelse för uppsatsen eftersom den med stor sannolikhet kommer att ersätta Romkonventionen. Utgångspunkten i svensk rätt är att avtalsfrihet råder, även vad gäller val av tillämplig lag. Det finns emellertid vissa begränsningar av parternas fria lagval i regelverken. Framställningen undersöker främst hur regelverken skiljer sig åt vad gäller omfattningen av parternas fria lagval. Ytterligare tillkommer det att utröna de olikheter som finns avseende partautonomin mellan reglerna i samma regelverk. Diskussion förs även om hur det objektiva lagvalet fastställs enligt regelverken i det fall parterna inte har gjort något lagval.</p><p>Vilket av regelverken som blir tillämpligt på ett visst försäkringsavtal är svårt att förutse, framför allt för någon som inte är juridiskt insatt. Ännu svårare är det att fastställa vilken regel i ett visst regelverk en försäkringstagare omfattas av. Enligt artikel 3 i Romkonventionen råder i princip obegränsad partsautonomi mellan näringsidkare vad gäller lagvalet. Annorlunda blir det i ett konsumentförhållande där omfattningen av partsautonomin är begränsad. Parterna kan avtala om tillämplig lag även här, men lagvalet får inte medföra att konsumenten berövas det skydd som denne garanteras enligt lagen i sitt hemland enligt artikel 5. Problemet med bestämmelsen är att de flesta konsumentförsäkringsavtal hamnar utanför reglernas tillämpningsområde då de sällan kan uppfylla kriterierna som ställs upp i artikeln. Som en följd därav omfattas de istället av den generella regeln i artikel 3 som är särskilt utvecklad för jämbördiga näringsidkare. Det objektiva lagvalet fastställs i konventionen enligt närhetsprincipen med hjälp av en rad presumptioner. För försäkringsavtal aktualiseras i huvudsak regeln om den karaktäristiska prestationen.</p><p>I 1993 års lag görs en uppdelning mellan massrisker och stora risker. Lagen tillåter endast partsautonomi i den mån den försäkrade risken faller under definitionen av en stor risk. Hit hör främst försäkringar som tecknats av större företag. Då den försäkrade risken är en massrisk är det fria lagvalet istället starkt begränsat. Ytterst sällan har parterna rätt att välja någon annan lag än lagen i det land där försäkringstagaren har sitt hemvist eller centrala förvaltning, eller, lagen i det land där risken är belägen. Försäkring för massrisker tecknas främst av privatpersoner och i viss mån av mindre företag.</p><p>Även i Rom I råder obegränsad partsautonomi för de försäkringsavtal som omfattas av huvudregeln i artikel 3. Däremot har partsautonomin helt tagits bort för de konument-försäkringsavtal vilka faller under artikel 5. Istället underkastas ett sådant avtal alltid konsumentens lands lag. Vidare har en fast regel utformats för att fastställa det objektiva lagvalet som innebär att försäkringsgivarens lands lag skall tillämpas på försäkringsavtalet, såtillvida avtalet inte omfattas av artikel 5.</p><p>Romkonventionen och 1993 års lag skiljer sig åt, både lagtekniskt och i deras bakomliggande syfte. Reglerna i konventionen är av generell natur eftersom de är utformade för tillämpas på ett stort antal olika slags avtal. 1993 års lag är istället specifikt utformad för att reglera lagval för försäkringsavtal. Att lagvalsreglerna är oharmoniserade leder till att EU-medborgare behandlas olika beroende på var försäkringstagaren har sitt försäkrade intresse. Ur konsumentskyddssynpunkt är Romkonventionen inte heller särskilt väl lämpad för försäkringsavtal. Omfattningen av partsautonomin för försäkringsavtal varierar, både mellan regelverken och inom dem. Problemet med de oharmoniserade lagvalsreglerna på försäkringsområdet har uppmärksammats vid arbetet med revideringen av Romkonventionens artiklar med anledning av en framtida omvandling till en förordning. Problemet kvarstår dock även efter revideringen av artiklarna. Omfattningen av partsautonomin har inskränkts i Rom I i förhållande till Romkonventionen.</p>

This study offers the so-called ”Choice-Based Perspective” of the choice-of-law question or “CBP”. Drawing on the legal philosophy of Immanuel Kant and through careful evaluation of comprehensive theory of Kant’s follower- Friedrich Carl von Savigny, CBP offers a purely private conception of the subject which rejects the conventional wisdom that choice-of-law has to be grounded on the principle of states’ sovereignty. Furthermore, it will be argued that the proposed approach holds much sway in practice, for the normative underpinnings of CBP are already embedded in many traditional and contemporary choice-of-law rules, doctrines, and concepts.

This study offers the so-called ”Choice-Based Perspective” of the choice-of-law question or “CBP”. Drawing on the legal philosophy of Immanuel Kant and through careful evaluation of comprehensive theory of Kant’s follower- Friedrich Carl von Savigny, CBP offers a purely private conception of the subject which rejects the conventional wisdom that choice-of-law has to be grounded on the principle of states’ sovereignty. Furthermore, it will be argued that the proposed approach holds much sway in practice, for the normative underpinnings of CBP are already embedded in many traditional and contemporary choice-of-law rules, doctrines, and concepts.

The present dissertation deals with selected questions arising in the course of the application of choice of law rules and of the foreign law designated on the basis thereof. In this context, the dissertation analyzes general issues connected to the selected questions and then compares the possible solutions as implemented in Czech law, EU law and in selected foreign laws. As far as Czech law is concerned, attention is also paid to its historical development; the same is true about some of the foreign laws discussed in the dissertation. The dissertation focuses on selected wording and interpretation difficulties that used to arise and still arise in the context of particular legal instruments. First, two basic hypotheses are set out; their verification is one of the aims of the dissertation. The first is the question of whether the doctrine of choice of law rules represents a self- contained and self-sufficient system that - at least on a theoretical level - offers answers to all questions arising in the context of the application of choice of law rules. The second is the question of whether the concept of a bilateral choice of law rule, as commonly implemented today, facilitates international private law interaction and is - at least on a general level - a suitable way of governing international private...

Autonomous will in conflict of laws in international private law Abstrakt This thesis deals with the traditional private law principle of autonomy of will in conflict of laws in private international law. Its expression is the choice of the applicable law, which is one of the connecting factors. This institute has been known since the Middle Ages, but due to the legislative activity of the European Union, it has recently appeared in areas where it has not previously been. The choice of the applicable law allows participants to choose the law that best suits their needs. The objectives of this work are to map the development of the choice of law and the reasons which led to it. Another objective is to explore the various existing restrictions on the choice of law and to consider their necessity. In the first half of my work I deal with the principle of autonomy of will and the choice of the applicable law in general. I examine both the history of this institute and its advantages, as well as its possible division and limitations. I also mention the debate on the necessity of the presence of an international element in the legal relationship. In the second half of the thesis I examine the concrete form of choice of applicable law in both contractual and non-contractual obligations, inheritance and family law....

Governing Law in the Absence of Choice in Contractual Relations in the Czech Republic and in the United States (Private international law in a comparative perspective) English Summary: The subject of the thesis is the main differences in Private International Law (or Conflict of Laws in the Unites States) in the area of contractual relations in the absence of a choice of law. The introduction explains the methodology of the work, as it does not strive to provide an exhaustive list of contract types - since this would be ill-advised considering the differences in Czech and American contract law - but rather provide the reader with a general characterization of the different approaches to the subject matter. The introduction also explains the legal certainty principle (typical for Civil Law countries) and the principle of equity (typical for Common Law countries), and describes how the consideration of these will enhance the reader's understanding of the thesis' topics. The first chapter is concerned with the relevant sources of law in the Czech Republic and in the United States. The most important legislation applicable in the Czech Republic is the Czech Private International Law Act, the Rome Convention and the Rome I Regulation. In relation to US law, the text discusses some of the most important clauses...

Résumé The aim of the diploma thesis called Choice of applicable law in private international law is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the given area, justify the need and benefits of choice of law in situations involving private international law and to suggest possibilities for future development. The first section is dedicated to conflict-of-law rules, their construction, characterization and function. Choice of law is also analyzed from the perspective of the connecting factor. The following part focuses on the history of choice of law in private international law from the initial reflections in the Middle Ages to the rapid development in the second half of the 20th century. In the third chapter, choice of law is described in general terms, including an analysis of individual types of choice of law and analysis of renvoi. In the following sections, choice of applicable law in major legal situations involving private international law is explored. Firstly, contractual obligations are discussed, the main focus being the Regulation (EC) No 593/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I). Secondly, non-contractual obligations are analyzed mainly in terms of the Regulation (EC) No 864/2007 of the European Parliament and of the Council on...

1 English Summary The aim of this thesis is to compare the determination of law applicable to non- contractual obligations in the Czech Republic and the United States of America. In the beginning I provide a brief overview of the international private law in general and then the substantial law of torts in both Czech Republic and the USA and the prospective changes in the new Civil Code which should be applicapble from 2014. The fifth chapter concerns with the law applicable to non-contractual obligations in the Czech Republic. In the first place there is a statute (Private International Law Act), but the majority of its provisions were overruled by the Rome II regulation, which unifies the privite international law of the EU states. According to the regulation, general rule for the law applicable to non-contractual obligation arising out of torts is lex loci delicti (the law of the country in which the dammage occurs). Rome II then provides special rules for product liability, unfair competition, environmental dammage, etc. In the Czech Republic the regulation does not apply to traffic accidents because the Czech Republic is a contracting state to Hague Convention on the Law Applicable to Traffic Accidents. The sixth chapter focuses on the law applicable to torts in the USA. The first subchapter deals with...

A presente dissertação versa a teoria geral da determinação da lei aplicável no Direito Internacional Privado, sob a ótica de parâmetros cosmopolitas colhidos em outras ciências humanas, em perspectiva interdisciplinar. Analisam-se vários estudos recentes sobre o cosmopolitismo, bem como suas origens remotas, de modo a propor possíveis relações do tema com o método conflitual do Direito Internacional Privado. No capítulo I, empreende-se estudo histórico, retornando às origens do cosmopolitismo (filosofias grega e romana), passando pelo cosmopolitismo de Kant, no séc. XVIII, para então, finalmente, examinar os cosmopolitismos contemporâneos. Quanto a estes, procede-se à uma taxionomia e se exploram algumas proposições teóricas de especial utilidade para a determinação da lei aplicável. No capítulo II, busca-se transpor o cosmopolitismo do plano das demais ciências humanas para o plano da teoria jurídica em particular. Analisa-se, primeiro, o que implica a ideia de cosmopolitização do direito e, após, a relação entre o cosmopolitismo e o Direito Internacional Privado em específico. Dá-se especial atenção à aplicação da ideia de justiça cosmopolita no contexto da determinação da lei aplicável. No capítulo III, trata-se dos três grandes métodos de determinação da lei aplicável (multilateralismo, unilateralismo e materialismo), em perspectivas histórica e crítica. Conclui-se que a adoção do multilateralismo enquanto estrutura principal de determinação da lei aplicável, flexibilizado pelo princípio da proximidade, atende mais à imparcialidade cosmopolita que os outros dois métodos. No capítulo IV, propõe-se uma visão cosmopolita do princípio da ordem pública, concentrando-se em duas importantes evoluções teóricas mais recentes: as noções de ordem pública de proximidade e de ordem pública verdadeiramente internacional. Procede-se, ademais, a exame crítico da aplicação da exceção da ordem pública, no que se refere à lei aplicável, na jurisprudência brasileira recente. Ao fim do estudo, as principais conclusões são enumeradas. / This dissertation addresses international choice of law, through the lens of cosmopolitan standards collected from other humanities, undertaking an interdisciplinary approach. Many recent studies on cosmopolitanism are examined, as well as its remote origins, so as to propose links between choice of law and cosmopolitanism. In chapter I, a historical study is undertaken, going back to the origins of cosmopolitanism (Greek and Roman philosophers), dealing moreover with Kants cosmopolitanism (18th century) and contemporary cosmopolitanisms. Accordingly, a division into categories is proposed and some theoretical notions of special importance to choice of law are tackled. In chapter II, cosmopolitan concepts are applied to legal theory. First, consequences are drawn from the idea of cosmopolitanizing law. Afterwards, the relation between Conflict of Laws and cosmopolitanism is addressed. The focus is on the application of the idea of cosmopolitan justice to choice of law. In chapter III, the three existing choice of law methods are addressed (multilateralism, unilateralism and substantialism), historically and critically. It is concluded that the adoption of multilateralism as a general framework, flexibilized by the principe de proximité, is a better option in terms of cosmopolitan impartiality than the other two methods. In chapter IV, a cosmopolitan vision of public policy is proposed, focusing upon two important theories recently conceived: the notions of ordre public de proximité and of truly international public policy. Also, a critical address of the recent application of the public policy exception by Brazilian courts (within the choice of law context) is made. At the end, the main conclusions are enumerated.

O presente trabalho aborda, da perspectiva do ordenamento jurídico brasileiro, a cláusula de eleição de lei nos contratos internacionais. Para isso, dividimos este estudo em três partes. Na primeira, tratamos das premissas fundamentais do nosso objeto. Na segunda, abordamos especificamente a escolha de lei no Brasil. Na terceira, versamos sobre as propostas de reforma da legislação brasileira e tecemos alguns comentários a título de conclusão. Na primeira parte abordamos (i) aspectos gerais dos contratos internacionais, (ii) o princípio da autonomia da vontade, (iii) os limites à aplicação da lei estrangeira e (iv) como a escolha de lei é disciplinada na Europa e nos EUA. Na segunda parte deste trabalho, examinamos a cláusula de eleição de direito aplicável de acordo com o sistema jurídico pátrio. Em seguida, estudamos a extensão da autonomia da vontade dos contratantes. Na última parte, em vista das conclusões obtidas nos capítulos anteriores, verificamos a necessidade de reforma da legislação brasileira para adequá-la aos padrões internacionais. / The purpose of this paper is to analyze, from the perspective of the Brazilian legal system, the choice of law clause in international contracts. We divide this work in three parts. In the first one, we examine some general important issues related to our subject. In the second one, we specifically discuss the choice of law according to the Brazilian law. In the last part, we examine some proposals to update the Brazilian legal system. In the first part, we discuss (i) general aspects of international contracts, (ii) the principle of party autonomy, (iii) limitations to apply a foreign law and (iv) how the choice of law is set forth in Europe and the USA. In the second part, we analyze the choice of law clause under Brazilian law. Afterwards, we investigate the extension of party autonomy. In the last part, due to the conclusions of the previous chapters, we verify the need for an update of the Brazilian legislation to meet international standards.