Treaties and international organizations work together to create a global environment that protects the rights of a person and actively promotes the well-being of society. However, they do not necessarily guarantee the rights of everyone. Since women are not explicitly named in human rights documents, they are often not granted equal human rights. Therefore, it takes more than just international legal instruments to guarantee women's rights as human rights. A combination of civil society (NGOs), International organizations (IOs), and domestic government creates a perfect coalition to beat the barriers that must be overcome to fully protect women from violence.

La tesi doctoral "Les accions de l'art. 1843 i la seva relació amb l'art. 1852 del Codi civil" analitza les accions que corresponen al fiador abans del pagament davant al deutor. S'examina, en primer lloc, els antecedents històrics de les accions contingudes en l'art. 1843 Cc; també com és regulada la qüestió pel Dret comparat. En segon lloc, s'estudia la relació existent entre l'art. 1843 i 1852 Cc, en el sentit de resoldre si és preceptiu l'exercici de les accions de rellevament de la fiança per a poder oposar les accions protectores de la subrogació. Les conclusions bàsiques de la tesi es dirigeixen a què no sembla defensable la commixtió entre l'art. 1843 i 1852 Cc. Així mateix, es proposen una sèrie de mesures que pot utilitzar el fiador a l'empara de la nova Llei Concursal i que el concepte d'insolvència que sembla acollir l'art. 1843 Cc és el corresponent al perjudici del dret de crèdit. / La tesis doctoral "Las acciones del art. 1843 y su relación con el art. 1852 del Código civil" analiza las acciones que corresponden al fiador antes del pago frente al deudor.Se examina, en primer lugar, los antecedentes históricos de las acciones contenidas en el art. 1843 Cc; también como es regulada la cuestión por el Derecho comparado. En segundo lugar, se estudia la relación existente entre el art. 1843 y 1852 Cc, en el sentido de discernir si es preceptivo el ejercicio de las acciones de relevación de la fianza para poder oponer las acciones protectoras de la subrogación.Las conclusiones básicas de la tesis apuntan a que no parece defendible la conmixtión entre el art. 1843 y 1852 Cc. Asimismo, se proponen una serie de medidas que puede utilizar el fiador al amparo de la nueva Ley Concursal y que el concepto de insolvencia que parece acoger el art. 1843 Cc es el correspondiente al perjuicio del derecho de crédito. / The doctoral thesis "The actions of art. 1843 and its relation to art. 1852 Civil Code "examines the actions of the guarantors before payment against the debtor. The tesis examines, first, the historical background of actions contained in art. 1843 cc, as well as the matter is regulated by the comparative law. Secondly, it studies the relationship between art. 1843 and 1852 cc, and if necessary the exercise of the shares the relief of the bail to exercising the protective actions of the subrogación. The basic conclusions of the thesis suggests that it does not seem defensible conmixtión between the art. 1843 and 1852 of the Civil Code. It also proposes a series of measures that can use the guarantor under the new Bankruptcy Act and that the concept of insolvency seems that hosting the art. 1843 cc is the corresponding prejudice to the right of credit.

Les droits administratifs français et espagnol sont traditionnellement présentés comme des idéaux-types opposés dans leur rapport aux droits administratifs étrangers. Comme exportateur, le droit administratif français considère ses homologues étrangers comme un réceptacle de son influence ; comme importateur, le droit administratif espagnol les envisage comme source de son enrichissement. Si une telle présentation repose sur des raisons temporelles et culturelles qui ont fait du droit administratif français un modèle et du droit administratif espagnol un imitateur, et s’illustre par de nombreuses manifestations, elle se révèle être partiellement inexacte. Historiquement, elle est trop réductrice en envisageant l’exclusivité de ces deux postures. Elle est ensuite dépassée aujourd’hui, à l’heure de la globalisation, puisque les solutions juridiques circulent sans que l’on identifie clairement des exportateurs ou des importateurs. Cette recherche invite alors à poser un regard différent sur ces présupposés qui considèrent le droit administratif français comme un exportateur et le droit administratif espagnol comme un importateur. / French and Spanish Administrative Laws are, traditionally, presented as two opposed “ideal-types”. Indeed, their relations to foreign Administrative Laws and their way to think these relations are deeply different. While French Administrative Law is viewed as understanding its foreign equivalents as recipients of its own influence, Spanish Administrative Law is seen as using them as a way to enrich its own representations. A such picture is induced by temporal and cultural reasons that make French administrative law a model for other administrative laws and Spanish one an imitator. This observation has many manifestations but is partially inaccurate . Historically, these two positions are too reductive. Moreover, nowadays, in a time of globalization a such affirmation is outdated. The increase of interactions between legal systems makes difficult to identify which concept is derived from which legal system. Hence, the purpose of this study is to view in a critical way the assumptions that make French administrative law an exporter and Spanish administrative law an importer.

No description available.

Les règles de conflit de lois n’ont pas toutes la même autorité. Les parties, et même le juge, peuvent être autorisés à passer outre à la désignation opérée par la règle de conflit. Les parties sont parfois libres d’écarter par convention la loi objectivement désignée (règles de conflit supplétives), parfois tenues par la désignation opérée, qui s’impose à elles (règles de conflit impératives). Le juge est tantôt tenu, tantôt libre de relever d’office l’internationalité du litige, et d’en déduire l’application de la règle de conflit. Le choix d’envisager ensemble des questions aussi variées peut étonner, mais c’est celui de la jurisprudence. L’autorité des règles de conflit y est définie de manière conjointe, à l’égard des parties comme du juge, à l’aune de considérations substantielles. Ainsi, parce qu’une demande en recherche de paternité relève, en droit substantiel, d’une matière d’ordre public, et qu’elle intéresse l’état des personnes, réputé indisponible, la règle de conflit qui lui est applicable sera impérative et mise en œuvre, au besoin d’office, par le juge. Inversement, si la prétention relève d’une matière largement supplétive ou vise des droits disponibles, la règle de conflit applicable sera supplétive, et le juge ne sera pas tenu de la relever d’office. Ce sont donc des considérations substantielles qui définissent, en jurisprudence, l’autorité des règles de conflit à l’égard des parties comme du juge.Cependant, ce régime n’est plus celui du droit international privé européen. D’abord, les règlements européens n’ont défini l’autorité des règles de conflit qu’à l’égard des parties, laissant à chaque Etat membre le soin de déterminer leur autorité à l’égard du juge. Ensuite, la définition européenne de l’impérativité des règles de conflit fait abstraction de toute considération substantielle, en retenant une supplétivité de principe pour l’ensemble des règles de conflit unifiées à l’échelle européenne. La jurisprudence a-t-elle raison de définir l’autorité des règles de conflits exclusivement à l’aune de considérations substantielles ? Non, car cela revient à nier que l’effet juridique des règles de conflit est imputé selon des considérations propres à la justice conflictuelle. Pour autant, on ne saurait, à l’instar du législateur européen, exclure toute considération substantielle. Le présupposé des règles de conflit vise des questions de droit substantiel. Les règles de conflit sont donc construites en contemplation de considérations substantielles. Dès lors, si ces dernières ne sauraient dicter à elles seules l’autorité des règles de conflit, on ne saurait, non plus, en faire totalement abstraction. / Choice-of-law rules do not all have the same authority. The parties, and even the judge, may be allowed to override the designation made by the conflict rule. The parties are sometimes free to depart, by convention, from the designated law (suppletory choice-of-law rules), sometimes bound by the designation made (imperative choice-of-law rules). The judge is sometimes obliged, sometimes free to raise ex officio the internationality of the dispute, and to deduce from it the application of the choice-of-law rule. Considering together such varied questions may be surprising, but it is the approach adopted by French case law. The authority of choice-of-law rules is defined jointly, according to substantive considerations. As a matter of example, an affiliation proceeding is, in French substantive law, a matter of public policy regarding someone’s family status, and deemed to concern an unwaivable right. Therefore, the applicable choice-of-law rule will be imperative and applied ex officio by the judge. Conversely, if the claim falls within a largely suppletory subject matter or relates to waivable rights, the applicable choice-of-law rule will be suppletory, and the judge will not be required to apply it ex officio. Therefore, the authority of choice-of-law rules is defined, with respect to both the parties and the judge, according to substantive considerations.However, this regime is no longer that of European private international law. Firstly, the European regulations have only defined the authority of their choice-of-law rules with respect to the parties, leaving it up to each Member State to determine their authority over the judge. Secondly, the European definition of their authority over the parties disregards any substantive consideration, and retains a whole set of suppletory choice-of-law rules, regardless of the subject-matter. Is case law justified in defining the authority of choice-of-law rules solely on the basis of substantive considerations ? No, because choice-of-law rules designate the applicable law according to choice-of-law considerations. However, one cannot, like the European legislator, exclude any substantive consideration. The supposition of choice-of-law rules concerns substantive law issues. Choice-of-law rules are, thus, devised according to substantive considerations. Therefore, if these alone cannot define the authority of choice-of-law rules, they cannot be totally ignored either.

Le droit international privé, tel qu’il résulte des droits nationaux et du droit de l’Unioneuropéenne, accorde une attention particulière aux systèmes juridiques étrangers. L’application de la loiétrangère constitue l’expression de l’importance reconnue aux systèmes juridiques étrangers, mais appliquerune loi qui est extérieure au système juridique du for peut provoquer, du fait de sa différence, des réactionsdéfensives. L’application de la loi étrangère se trouve ainsi confrontée à différents obstacles qui tendent àgarantir une application prioritaire de la lex fori. D’une part, les techniques employées par le systèmejuridique du for pour appliquer la loi étrangère ne lui sont pas favorables, comme en témoigne l’interventionrécurrente de l’exception d’ordre public international. D’autre part, des éléments exogènes au systèmejuridique du for, comme la compréhension différente d’une même institution juridique, peuvent égalementfaire échec à l’application de la loi étrangère. Il existe ainsi un décalage entre la lettre des règles de droitinternational privé du for, qui permettrait d’envisager une application fréquente de la loi étrangère et l’usagequi en est fait par les autorités du système juridique du for, qui mène souvent à sa neutralisation. Cette étudedéfend un meilleur respect de la lettre des règles relatives à l’application de la loi étrangère, qui aurait poureffet de promouvoir ce type d’application. Dans cette perspective, le droit international privé de l’Unioneuropéenne fournit d’importants enseignements, dans la mesure où il dynamise l’application de la loiétrangère appartenant à d’autres Etats membres. / The national or the European private international law is taking into a particular accountthe foreign legal systems. The foreign law application is an expression of the attention given to the foreignlegal systems, but applying a law that belongs to a different legal system than the legal system of the forumcountry may provoke a defence reaction caused by the existing differences between the legal systemsinvolved. The foreign law application is therefore confronted to different obstacles that tend to ensure aprimary application of the lex fori. First, the techniques used by the legal system of the forum country toapply the foreign law are not entirely favourable to this kind of application, as evidenced by the recurrentintervention of the international public policy. Furthermore, there are elements that are exogenous to thelegal system of the forum country, such as different understandings of the same legal institution that canobstruct the foreign law application. There is thus a gap between the theory of the private internationalrules, which would appeal a frequent application of the foreign law, and the use that is made of them by theauthorities of the forum country, which often leads to the neutralization of the foreign law. This studydefends a better compliance to the theory of private international law, which would promote the applicationof the foreign law. In this perspective, the private international law of the European Union provides animportant source of « savoir-faire » as it promotes the application of a foreign law belonging to anotherMember States.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is one of the factors that can influence the growth and development of the economy of a country, but on the other hand, it could have a negative effect if not regulated properly by the host country. States must ensure that FDI is properly regulated in the best interests of the country and the foreign investor itself. South Africa has reviewed its foreign investment legal framework and during this process, it terminated most of its bilateral investment treaties that previously regulated foreign investment in the country. In turn, it introduced the Protection of Protection of Investment Act that regulates both domestic and foreign investment. This study analyses the way in which national and international investment law affect FDI inflow and the economy of South Africa. The study also deals with the determinants of foreign investment in the host country and the extent to which they have an influence on the inflow of FDI. / Public, Constitutional and International Law / LL. M.

At the dawn of democratic rule in the period 1994–1998, South Africa concluded 15 bilateral investment treaties (BITs), mostly with European nations. Some of these treaties were concluded before the Constitution of 1996. The country has since concluded a total of 47 BITs, with the majority not in effect as they were not ratified per the required constitutional processes. The policy decision to enter into BITs was taken by the African National Congress (ANC) government, led by the late former state president Nelson Mandela. The BITs were seen as an important guarantee to attract foreign investment into the country. The aim was to provide added assurance that foreign investments were safe in a democratic South Africa after many years of international isolation and sanctions. The conventional wisdom at the time was that BITs would increase foreign investor appetite to invest and the country would experience rising levels of foreign direct investment (FDI) as a result. This would facilitate economic growth and the transition of the country into the global economy. South Africa concluded BITs with seven of the top ten investor countries. In October 2013 the South African government cancelled a number of BITs with these European countries invested in South Africa. These countries – namely Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands – complained of lack of consultation by the South Africans. On 1 November 2013 the Minister of Trade and Industry published, in Government Gazette No 36995, the Promotion and Protection of Investment Bill (PPIB or Investments Bill) as the proposed primary legislative instrument for the protection of foreign investments. This created much uncertainty among many European nations as well as in the United States of America (US), who were concerned about the motivation for cancelling bilateral treaties in favour of domestic legislation. BITs had been a part of the policy instruments regulating foreign investments in the country for over 20 years. Globally these treaties have been used to regulate foreign investments in a number of areas, and to provide protection to investments such as full protection and security, guaranteed pre-establishment rights, ease of repatriation of funds, most-favoured nation, fair and equitable treatment, national treatment and efficient dispute settlement mechanisms, among other provisions. In most cases international arbitration via the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and other international arbitral mediums has been a standard provision in the treaties. This has allowed foreign investors to bypass host countries’ legal systems. The latter is believed to be a significant inducement for foreign investors, guaranteeing that should a dispute arise, or if an expropriation occurs, the investor could institute an international arbitral process against the host government. International arbitration is preferred by foreign investors for the reason that, in some cases, domestic courts may lack independence from the state, and may make partial rulings that do not protect investors. Furthermore, international arbitration processes are more efficient and produce rulings faster than domestic courts, which are usually burdened with bureaucratic procedures and limited resources. In cases where delay exacerbates injury, prompt resolution of disputes is preferable. This study evaluates the Investments Bill and the rationale applied by the government of South Africa to cancel BITs with major trade and investment partners in favour of this legislation. The thesis focuses on the Investments Bill, in light of the objective provided by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for its enactment to law. The Investments Bill is subjected to a constitutional analysis to determine its compliance therewith. Comparisons are also made between the Investments Bill provisions and the prevailing international law principles on foreign investments. The Investments Bill is then critically evaluated against emerging trends on FDI regulation on the African continent to determine its congruence or lack thereof with best practice recommendations at regional economic community (REC) and African Union (AU) level. The thesis concludes with a set of policy recommendations to the DTI on how to improve South African policies related to the regulation of foreign investments taking into account the national imperative as well as Southern African Development Community (SADC) and other broader African continental objectives of harmonisation of FDI regulation, including the Tripartite Free Trade Area (FTA) implementation. The timing of this thesis is significant for South Africa. It adds to various deliberations that are taking place as the Investments Bill is set to makes its way through the legislative approval processes in 2015. The Bill has been met with opposition from some segments of society. Others have expressed support – including several state departments, the ANC, the South African Communist Party (SACP) and other political formations. The summary of findings contained in the thesis will be presented to the DTI to influence policy directions of the state in terms of foreign investment regulations. Should the Bill be enacted, the Minister of Trade and Industry is required to promulgate the dispute resolution mechanism that will govern investment disputes. The findings of this study will be important to the determination of how such dispute resolution mechanisms may function. Furthermore, in 2010 Cabinet instructed the DTI to develop a model new-generation BIT Template to be utilised by South Africa, should a compelling reason arise to enter into bilateral agreements. The research results will assist policy-makers to develop policies that are consistent with and align with the overarching Africa strategy that has been heavily promoted by South Africa. The country faces a number of challenges, particularly those related to low economic growth, high levels of poverty, unemployment and record levels of inequality. The gap between the rich and poor, in terms of the Gini coefficient, was 0,67 based on the World Bank Development Research Group Report of 2010. It is reported as one of the highest in the world and is believed to have worsened since the dawn of democracy. / Public, Constitutional and International Law / LL. D. (Public, Constitutional and International Law)

Germany’s economic dominance in Europe, generous investment incentives, and technical manufacturing prowess has encouraged an influx of Chinese-led inbound activity, concentrated in high-tech sector mergers and acquisitions. A close examination of these M&As yields evidence of systemic Chinese state-financing through both state-owned and private vehicles that likely stems from China’s “Made in China 2025” policy, which hopes to stem capital outflow and to indigenize technological innovation. As Germany braces for what it sees to be continuous attempts by China to take patented German technology through M&As, it worries that Chinese patent law will allow for rampant patent infringement by copycat Chinese entities. This paper presents an overview of the root causes of China’s heavy economic activity in Germany, as well as an analysis of the legal concerns held by German firms based on a close reading of the Patent Law of the People’s Republic of China and strategic recommendations for German companies hoping to work with or in China.

Alors que la doctrine juridique française ne semble porter qu’un intérêt relatif pour les droits étrangers entre 1815 et 1869, elle recourt au contraire de façon intensive au droit comparé entre 1869 et 1914. Comment expliquer ce basculement ? La première période est marquée par le silence d’une large partie de la doctrine relativement aux droits étrangers : ayant à sa disposition de véritables modèles juridiques (les codes napoléoniens), celle-ci ne ressent effectivement pas le besoin de porter son regard au-delà des frontières nationales mais se concentre presque exclusivement sur les seuls textes de ces codes nouveaux. En matière d’enseignement, cela se traduit notamment par l’adoption de la méthode exégétique ; d’ailleurs encouragée par l’Etat… Bien qu’une poignée de juristes français s’élève rapidement contre cette méthode qu’ils jugent insatisfaisante, les pionniers de la comparaison juridique ne forment alors que le cercle restreint des membres de la doctrine française. Mais ils annoncent et préparent leurs successeurs à l’ « ère comparative ». C’est en effet en 1869 qu’est fondée la Société de législation comparée, ses fondateurs pressentant en réalité dès cette date un « retard français », sur le plan juridique mais aussi dans les autres domaines (économie, enseignement, armée, sciences, etc.), qu’il sera difficile selon eux de combler. L’année suivante, la défaite de Sedan ne fait que confirmer leurs craintes. Surtout, elle pousse les jurisconsultes français à s’intéresser activement aux droits étrangers, en particulier celui du vainqueur. D’après eux, la comparaison juridique peut participer au « redressement français ». Du point de vue juridique, elle vise en effet à rénover le droit français et ses codes vieillissants. Ainsi s’explique, en définitive, l’intérêt grandissant porté par les plus célèbres juristes français de la fin du XIXe siècle et du début du XXe siècle au droit comparé. Certains auront même pour ambition de l’ériger en science. / While the French legal doctrine seems to be barely concerned about foreign laws between 1815 and 1869, it appeals intensively to comparative law between 1869 and 1914. How to explain this swing ? The first period was marked by the silence of a large part of the doctrine in respect of foreign laws : having at its disposal genuine legal models (the Napoleonic codes), the doctrine actually does not feel the need to look across national borders but almost exclusively focuses on the texts of these new codes. In terms of education, this is reflected by the adoption of the exegetical method ; incidentally encouraged by the state... Although a handful of French lawyers quickly rise against this method they consider unsatisfying, the pioneers of legal comparison then constitute the limited circle of members of the French doctrine. But they announce and prepare their successors for the "comparative era." It is indeed in 1869 that the Société de legislation comparée is founded, the founders actually foreseeing since then a "French delay" in legal terms but also in other fields (economy, education, military, science, etc.), that it will be difficult to fill. The following year, the defeat of Sedan confirmed their fears. Above all, it pushes the French jurisconsults to take an active interest in foreign laws, especially the one of the winner. According to them, the legal comparison can contribute to the "French recovery." From a legal perspective, it is indeed to restore French law and its aging code. This explains, ultimately, the growing interest by the most famous French jurists of the late XIXth and early XXth century for comparative law. Some will even have the ambition to erect it in science.