L’une des causes de la richesse des nations, la coopération, repose sur un échange de promesses. Si le droit des contrats est considéré comme un outil efficace - bien qu’imparfait - pour garantir ces dernières, il n’est cependant pas le seul : un tissu entier d’institutions formelles et informelles est à l’œuvre pour faciliter la coopération entre les agents économiques. Ce travail examine cette problématique dans le cadre de la finance islamique, considérée comme l’application moderne du droit des contrats islamiques. Alors qu’elle est censée utiliser des instruments de financement participatifs, la pratique de la finance islamique est dominée par le financement par la dette. Les causes généralement avancées pour expliquer cet état de fait sont des problèmes informationnels, considérés comme des vecteurs d’influence sur le comportement des banques. Cette thèse montre que ces problèmes informationnels ne sont en réalité que la conséquence d’un problème sous-jacent. Par une analyse du rôle et de la raison d’être des institutions, ce travail montre que le droit des contrats islamiques a été conçu à l’origine avec un objectif clair: assurer l’équilibre des transactions et garantir la propriété. Le respect des promesses était pour sa part assuré par d’autres types de mécanismes, notamment à travers la réputation, complétant dans les faits le droit des contrats. Cette conclusion permet d’appréhender le débat « forme vs substance » dans la finance islamique à travers l’échec d'un « transplant institutionnel intertemporel », pour montrer que les contrats évités sont dépendants du contexte dans lequel ils ont vu le jour et s’adaptent mal au contexte moderne. / One of the main causes of the wealth of nations, cooperation, is based on exchanged promises. Contract law is viewed as an efficient, though imperfect, tool to ensure promise keeping. However, contract law is not the only mechanism playing that role. A whole body of formal and informal institutions is at work easing economic agents cooperation.This work considers this issue in the Islamic finance framework which is seen as a modern application of Islamic contracts law. Islamic finance is a fruitful object of study as it is facing a paradoxe. While this finance is supposed to rely on participatory financing tools, its practice is dominated by debt based financings. Informational problems are usually identified as a cause of such practices.This work shows that information problems are not a cause but a consequence of a deeper problem. Through an analysis of the role and the raison d’être of institutions, this work puts the development of Islamic contracts law into the perspective of an economic and social context. It shows that Islamic contracts law had originally been developed with a clear goal: ensure transactions equilibrium and protect property. The respect of promises, for its part, was made possible by other mechanisms, such as reputation, supplementing contract law. This conclusion allows us to view the debate “form vs. substance” in Islamic finance as an “intertemporal institutional transplantation” failure and to show that the avoided contracts are dependent of their original context and adapt poorly to the modern one.

This study generally centres on the debate about the impact of privatisation on socio-economic rights and services. The specific objective of the study is to establish whether the privatisation of water services in South Africa has led to denial of access, either through the lack of availability of a commercialised, cost-recovery service, or denial of access because of hight rates and resultant inability to pay. The study analysed how this has impacted on the states constitutional and international human rights obligation and how the resultant problems can be addressed. It examines whether or not privatisation, which is basically aimed at improving service delivery and bringing countries in line with globalisation principles, has actually achieved that objective.

Traditionnellement, le droit prend soin de distinguer entre les clauses, parties d’un acte juridique, et les pratiques qui sont des faits juridiques. Pourtant, le droit des pratiques restrictives de concurrence semble réaliser une assimilation de ces deux notions, en qualifiant de pratiques restrictives de concurrence certaines clauses. L’étude analyse cette qualification d’une clause en pratique en proposant un critère et en s’interrogeant sur ses effets : la possible contestation de clauses sur le fondement du droit des pratiques restrictives de concurrence. En invitant à une réflexion sur cet aspect du droit des pratiques restrictives de concurrence, il s’agit également de s’interroger sur les finalités de cette matière, autant que sur la possibilité d’une meilleure intégration de la contestation de clauses dans un droit des pratiques commerciales déloyales entre professionnels en construction. / Generally, the law is careful to distinguish between the clauses, part of a legal act, and practices, that are legal facts. Yet, the law about restrictive competition practices seems to realise an assimilation of these two concepts, and provide the classification of a clause in restrictive competitive practice. The study analyses the classification of a clause into practice by proposing a criterion and pondering its effects: possible challenge clauses on the bases of the right of restrictive practices. By inviting a reflection on this aspect of the law of restrictive practices, it is also to question the aims of this particular law, as well as on the possibility of a better integration of the challenge clauses in a law about unfair trade practices between professionals in construction.

This study generally centres on the debate about the impact of privatisation on socio-economic rights and services. The specific objective of the study is to establish whether the privatisation of water services in South Africa has led to denial of access, either through the lack of availability of a commercialised, cost-recovery service, or denial of access because of hight rates and resultant inability to pay. The study analysed how this has impacted on the states constitutional and international human rights obligation and how the resultant problems can be addressed. It examines whether or not privatisation, which is basically aimed at improving service delivery and bringing countries in line with globalisation principles, has actually achieved that objective.

O objetivo geral deste estudo é analisar a implementação das compras públicas sustentáveis nas universidades federais brasileiras. A pesquisa é aplicada quanto a sua finalidade e exploratória e descritiva quanto aos seus objetivos gerais. A abordagem utilizada é tanto qualitativa quanto quantitativa e a pesquisa contempla a utilização de métodos múltiplos de investigação. A etapa qualitativa exploratória foi operacionalizada por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas realizadas com gestores da área de compras de duas universidades federais. As informações coletadas foram tratadas mediante a aplicação de técnicas de análise de conteúdo. A etapa quantitativa consistiu na aplicação de levantamento tipo survey, com emprego de questionário estruturado, em toda a população que compreende 59 universidades federais do Brasil. Os dados coletados em 37 questionários válidos receberam tratamento estatístico, envolvendo estatística descritiva e cálculo de correlação. Os principais achados indicam que: a implementação das compras sustentáveis nas universidades federais se encontra num estágio inicial e embrionário e que não existe uma política de compra sustentável claramente definida no âmbito da maioria das instituições. As ações são pontuais e não ocorrem de forma estratégica e planejada, e constituem tentativas de adequação às demandas normativas, motivadas pelas alterações legais, especialmente o estabelecimento da Instrução Normativa nº 01/2010-MPOG/SLTI, considerada o principal mecanismo que incitou a adoção da prática na esfera federal, bem como pelas deliberações e exigências dos órgãos de controle. Os critérios de sustentabilidade mais utilizados são, prioritariamente, aqueles determinados e ordenados na legislação e a utilização de critérios é predominante nas contratações envolvendo obras e serviços e engenharia, devido a maior exigência e respaldo legal. A oferta atual de produtos e serviços sustentáveis, os custos envolvidos, a pouca informação e conhecimento, a cultura organizacional e a falta de capacitação e treinamento dos envolvidos estão entre as principais barreiras identificadas. Há poucos resultados e impactos decorrentes da implementação das compras sustentáveis percebidos pelos gestores no âmbito das universidades e não é realizado o acompanhamento sistemático dos resultados. / The goal of this study is to analyze the implementation of Sustainable Public Procurement in the Brazilian federal universities. The research is applied as its purpose and exploratory and descriptive as to their overall goals. The approach is both qualitative and quantitative research and contemplates the use of multiple methods of investigation. The exploratory qualitative phase was operationalized through semi-structured interviews conducted with managers of the purchases area of two federal universities. The data were treated by applying techniques of content analysis. The quantitative phase consisted in an survey, with the application of a structured questionnaire across the population which comprises 59 federal universities in Brazil. Data collected on 37 valid questionnaires received statistical treatment involving descriptive statistics and correlation calculation. Key findings indicate that: the implementation of sustainable procurement in the federal universities is at an early stage and embryo and that there is not a policy of purchase sustainable clearly defined under most institutions. Actions are specific and do not occur in a strategic and planned level, and are attempts to adapt to the demands normative, motivated by legal changes, especially the establishment of Instruction 01/2010-MPOG/SLTI, considered the main mechanism that prompted the adoption of practice at the federal level and by the decisions and demands of controlling bodies. The most widely used sustainability criteria are primarily those determined and ordered in legislation and the use of criteria is prevalent in contracts involving works and services and engineering, due to higher demand and legal support. The current supply of sustainable products and services, the costs involved, the little information and knowledge, organizational culture and lack of capacity building and training of those involved are among the main barriers identified. A few results and impacts of the implementation of sustainable procurement perceived within universities and is not conducted systematic monitoring of results.

O presente trabalho visa apresentar um panorama geral a respeito da terceira espécie de inadimplemento no Direito brasileiro, considerando os esforços da doutrina e da jurisprudência em nosso sistema jurídico no trato deste tema, bem como considerando aspectos relevantes colhidos na experiência estrangeira. Na tentativa de contribuir para debate, será apresentada uma proposição para a identificação dessa terceira espécie de inadimplemento no Direito brasileiro. / The present work aims to present an overview regarding the third kind of default in Brazilian law, considering the efforts of the doctrine and of the jurisprudence in our legal system in dealing with this issue, as well as considering relevant aspects gathered from the experience of foreign law. In an attempt to contribute to debate, a proposition will be presented for the identification of this third kind of default in Brazilian law.

O presente trabalho visa apresentar um panorama geral a respeito da terceira espécie de inadimplemento no Direito brasileiro, considerando os esforços da doutrina e da jurisprudência em nosso sistema jurídico no trato deste tema, bem como considerando aspectos relevantes colhidos na experiência estrangeira. Na tentativa de contribuir para debate, será apresentada uma proposição para a identificação dessa terceira espécie de inadimplemento no Direito brasileiro. / The present work aims to present an overview regarding the third kind of default in Brazilian law, considering the efforts of the doctrine and of the jurisprudence in our legal system in dealing with this issue, as well as considering relevant aspects gathered from the experience of foreign law. In an attempt to contribute to debate, a proposition will be presented for the identification of this third kind of default in Brazilian law.

LLM / Department of Mercantile Law / This research examined the mechanisms that were employed by the Companies Act 71 of 2008 in order to protect the interests of creditors in company affairs. At the preamble of the aforementioned Act lies an undertaking from legislature to provide appropriate redress to investors and third parties/creditors. It was on that basis that the researcher sought to establish whether legislature had indeed fulfilled its commitment to provide appropriate redress to creditors. Traditionally, companies have been run to promote the interests of shareholders with little attention given to the interests of other stakeholders such as creditors. It is this research`s findings that South African company law has moved from the traditional view, that is the shareholder value approach, to the enlightened shareholder value approach: a model of corporate governance which permits directors to have regard, where appropriate, to the interests of other stakeholders but with shareholders’ interests retaining primacy. It is thus found that creditors cannot be protected by contract laws alone but that their protection should be enhanced by mandatory corporate laws which regulates the manner and conduct of company controllers in a way that ensures that the interests of all stakeholders, including creditors, are given due regard. Finally, it has been found that much work has been done by legislature in developing the re-enacted creditor protective mechanisms and also in statutorily adopting new mechanisms which are aimed at advancing creditor interests. Recommendations have thus been made to legislature for possible amendments to refine its corporate laws. / NRF