Les personnes morales sont couramment considérées comme des « êtres juridiques » incomplets par rapport aux personnes physiques et voués au seul exercice de leur activité. Pourtant la Cour de cassation a affirmé qu'elles pouvaient bénéficier de certaines protections du droit de la consommation par la qualification de non-professionnel. Cependant, la compréhension finaliste du critère d'application de cette qualification rend cette dernière inopérante à l'égard des personnes morales. Le passage d'une conception monolithique des personnes morales à une vision éclatée, couplé à une compréhension nouvelle du critère d'application permet l'émergence d'une personne morale non-professionnelle, éclairant le droit de la consommation ainsi que les droits de la personnalité des personnes morales. Les personnes morales peuvent ainsi être considérées comme des personnes juridiques différentes des personnes physiques mais néanmoins complètes / Legal persons are commonly regarded as incomplete "legal beings" in comparison with natural persons and as dedicated only to carry on their activity. Yet the French Court of Cassation said they could be protected by the non-professional qualification in French consumer law. However, the finalist understanding of the application criterion for this qualification makes it ineffective against these persons.The transition from a monolithic conception of legal persons to an exploded view, coupled with a new understanding of the application criterion allows the emergence of a non-professional legal person, clarifying consumer law and personality rights of artificial persons. Legal persons can thus be considered as legal entities different from individuals but complete however

This study was undertaken to establish whether rights of personality are known in indigenous law. Since indigenous law differs not only between tribes but is also affected by the degree of exposure to Western values, a micro-study has been done in a semi-rural environment in the Kingdom of Swaziland to establish to what extent own value systems have been influenced or altered when Western legal concepts are utilised. The information, obtained by interviewing a panel of experts, was compared with the available literature. During the process of gathering information, the aims of the research were not only to describe how the legal principles function, but also to take note of those socio-cultural processes which function outside of the law. Rights of personality were studied against a background of the culture and way of life of the peoples concerned. The importance of culture has been acknowledged in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, wherein the recognition and application of indigenous law generally rests on a constitutionally protected right to culture. Whilst the identifiable rights of personality may generally be classified according to specialised legal systems, the separation of rights to good name and to dignity may be inappropriate in the indigenous sphere. Dignity in indigenous legal systems is to be viewed as a comprehensive right of personality, into which should be subsumed the right to good name and reputation in the community. It is such dignity, embracing the ubuntu quality of humanness that is protected as a comprehensive indigenous right of personality. Although the indigenous law of personality is showing some signs of adapting to new developments, there is also proof that the established legal principles and human values are being retained. However, these changes are unique and are neither typically traditional nor Western. The indigenous law of personality, operating in a changing social environment, has to retain its flexibility and adaptability in order to remain ”living” law for the peoples concerned. / Jurisprudence / LL.D.

This study was undertaken to establish whether rights of personality are known in indigenous law. Since indigenous law differs not only between tribes but is also affected by the degree of exposure to Western values, a micro-study has been done in a semi-rural environment in the Kingdom of Swaziland to establish to what extent own value systems have been influenced or altered when Western legal concepts are utilised. The information, obtained by interviewing a panel of experts, was compared with the available literature. During the process of gathering information, the aims of the research were not only to describe how the legal principles function, but also to take note of those socio-cultural processes which function outside of the law. Rights of personality were studied against a background of the culture and way of life of the peoples concerned. The importance of culture has been acknowledged in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, wherein the recognition and application of indigenous law generally rests on a constitutionally protected right to culture. Whilst the identifiable rights of personality may generally be classified according to specialised legal systems, the separation of rights to good name and to dignity may be inappropriate in the indigenous sphere. Dignity in indigenous legal systems is to be viewed as a comprehensive right of personality, into which should be subsumed the right to good name and reputation in the community. It is such dignity, embracing the ubuntu quality of humanness that is protected as a comprehensive indigenous right of personality. Although the indigenous law of personality is showing some signs of adapting to new developments, there is also proof that the established legal principles and human values are being retained. However, these changes are unique and are neither typically traditional nor Western. The indigenous law of personality, operating in a changing social environment, has to retain its flexibility and adaptability in order to remain ”living” law for the peoples concerned. / Jurisprudence / LL.D.