Diese Dissertation umfasst drei Studien über Finanzberichterstattung gemäß International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) und Wirtschaftsprüfung. Da die IFRS ein prinzipienbasiertes Standardsystem sind, haben Abschlussersteller beabsichtigte Ermessensspielräume bei der Erstellung ihrer Finanzberichte. Die ersten beiden Studien widmen sich den Fragen, wie genau Abschlussersteller entsprechende Ermessensspielräume ausüben und inwieweit dies von der Wahl des Abschlussprüfers abhängt. Die erste Studie untersucht die Anhangangaben zu Ermessensentscheidungen und Schätzunsicherheiten (gemäß IAS 1). Sie liefert deskriptive Belege für ein insgesamt zunehmendes Niveau der Offenlegung dieser Anhangangaben und dafür, dass das Offenlegungsniveau über verschiedene Abschlussprüfer hinweg variiert. Inspiriert durch die Ergebnisse der ersten Studie widmet sich die zweite Studie der Frage, welche Arten von Abschlussprüfern (d.h. dominierende im Vergleich zu nicht dominierenden Abschlussprüfern) Unternehmen dazu motivieren, (mehr) relevante Angaben zu den erwarteten Auswirkungen der erstmaligen Anwendung des neuen IFRS 16 „Leasingverhältnisse“ im Erstanwendungsjahr offenzulegen. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass Mandanten dominierender Abschlussprüfer weniger standardisierte Angaben („boilerplate disclosures“) machen und der Zusammenhang zwischen der Leasingintensität und dem Detaillierungsgrad der Angaben bei diesen Mandanten stärker ist. Die dritte Studie nimmt die Ergebnisse der ersten beiden Studien zum Anlass, die Struktur des Prüfungsmarktes zu untersuchen. Der Fokus liegt hierbei auf der Entwicklung der Konzentration des Abschlussprüfermarktes in Großbritannien und Deutschland rund um eine regulatorische Änderung auf EU-Ebene, die neue Prüfungsanforderungen mit sich bringt, einschließlich der obligatorischen regelmäßigen Rotation von Prüfungsgesellschaften. Während die Ergebnisse auf einen etwa gleichstarken Rückgang der Konzentration der Prüfungsmärkte in beiden Ländern hindeuten, zeigen weitere statistische Tests, dass dieser Rückgang auf nationale Besonderheiten zurückzuführen ist. / This dissertation comprises three papers on financial reporting and auditing. The first two papers examine whether the extent to which the principles-based character of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) allows management to exercise judgement in the preparation of firms’ disclosures is contingent on auditor-type. The first paper explores judgment and estimation uncertainty disclosures (IAS 1) and provides descriptive evidence on an overall increasing trend of disclosure levels and that disclosure levels vary in the cross-section, among other things, by auditor. Inspired by that, the second paper goes a step further and emphasises on the question what type of auditors (i.e., dominant in comparison to non-dominant auditors) motivate firms to provide (more) relevant disclosures on how they expect IFRS 16 – a new standard on leasing – to affect their financial statements in the period of initial application. Results suggest that clients of dominant auditors use less boilerplate disclosures and that the association between leasing intensity and disclosure detail is stronger for those clients. Due to the results of both papers suggesting that the auditor choice matters when firms face judgement in the preparation of their disclosures, the (development of the) audit market structure underlying certain regulations becomes relevant. Thus, the third paper takes these findings of the first two papers as motivation to examine the audit market concentration in the UK and Germany around a regulatory change at the EU level that entails new audit requirements including mandatory audit firm rotation on a regular basis. While aggregate statistics suggest a decrease in market concentration of similar size in both countries, further tests reveal that these decreases are driven by national peculiarities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, European states have taken numerous measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Several states have introduced various forms of compulsory vaccination against COVID-19. While vaccines are one of the most effective tools for protecting people against COVID-19, it raises the question to which extent states may justifiably make vaccination schemes compulsory in the pursuit of public health. This paper, therefore, analyses the compatibility between compulsory vaccination and the right to respect for private life as set out in Article 8 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (the ECHR). As of today, the European Court of Human Rights (the ECtHR) has not decided whether vaccine mandates are compatible with the right to respect for private life.  An interference in the right to respect for private life must be in accordance with the law and fulfil one of the legitimate aims that are set out in Article 8.2 of the ECHR. An interference also needs to be necessary in a democratic society in order to achieve that legitimate aim. The protection of health as well as the protection of the rights and freedoms of others are two of the legitimate aims stipulated in Article 8 of the ECHR that are relevant in relation to the introduction of compulsory vaccination in society. In assessing whether an interference is necessary in a democratic society, the states enjoy a certain margin of appreciation. However, their assessment remains subject to review by the ECtHR. The principle of proportionality is an important part in assessing whether the interference has been necessary in a democratic society or not. The interference in question must remain proportionate to the legitimate aim pursued. In this paper, the compatibility between compulsory COVID-19 vaccination and the right to respect for private life is examined primarily by analysing prior case law of the ECtHR concerning vaccination and other medical interventions. This paper concludes that the states enjoy a wide margin of appreciation when assessing the necessity of introducing compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations, mainly because of the lack of European consensus regarding such vaccination schemes. Furthermore, it is concluded that compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations can be compatible with the right to respect for private life as set out in Article 8 of the ECHR, provided that the vaccines are considered safe and efficient by the research community, the vaccines used are monitored and the vaccine mandate is only indirectly imposed by sanctions of a protective nature. In addition, necessary precautions must be taken by prior assessment of potential contraindications and there must exist a possibility to receive compensation as a result of potential injuries caused by the vaccine.

Die Arbeit setzt sich mit dem neuen europäischen Anknüpfungskonzept für ausländisches Eingriffsrecht in der Rom I-VO auseinander. Im Fokus der Untersuchung steht die politisch motivierte und restriktiv ausgefallene Regelung des Art. 9 Abs. 3 Rom I-VO. Zudem widmet sich ein Teil der Untersuchung allgemein der hinter dem Eingriffsrecht – insbesondere dem Konzept des ausländischen Eingriffsrechts im IPR – stehenden Dogmatik, die aus einer dogmatisch-historischen Perspektive beleuchtet wird. Schwerpunktmäßig gilt es der Frage nachzugehen, welche Überlegungen hinter der neuen Kollisionsnorm stehen und ob die Sonderanknüpfung des Art. 9 Abs. 3 Rom I-VO einen dogmatisch geeigneten, mit der Zielsetzung der Rom I-VO vereinbaren rechtlichen Rahmen für die einheitliche kollisionsrechtliche Berufung der berücksichtigungswürdigen ausländischen Eingriffsnormen in den Mitgliedstaaten schafft. / The thesis examines the European concept of the newly defined connecting factor for foreign overriding mandatory rules in the Rome I Regulation. The central attention of the study is the analysis of the politically motivated and restrictive regulation of Art. 9 (3) of the Rome I Regulation. In addition, the first part of the study is dedicated to the examination of the general approach behind the application of foreign overriding mandatory rules in private international law from a dogmatic-historical perspective. The main focus of the thesis, however, is on the research of the considerations behind the new conflict of laws rule. The author specifically questions whether the new connecting factor defined in the Art. 9 (3) Rome I Regulation provides a worthy and sufficient legal framework for the application of foreign overriding mandatory rules.

Corporate reporting has changed from the traditional form of reporting which covered financial information only to the modern form of reporting called integrated reporting which covers, financial, corporate governance and sustainability information. The levels of corporate disclosure among corporate entities within any country and between countries are thus likely to have been affected by this change. Motivated by the IMF/World Bank (2006) that observed that corporate reporting improved in Botswana during the previous five years, without indicating what the actual level was or how it compares with that of other countries; this study sought to determine the actual level of corporate disclosure of two samples of companies: 23 companies listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) and the top 40 companies (by market capitalisation) that are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The study also shows how the two levels of corporate disclosure compare. This study is qualitative and descriptive by design; and involves analysing the content of the corporate annual report of each company in a sample using a corporate disclosure checklist; and determining the level of corporate disclosure for each sample of companies. The process ends with a comparative analysis of the levels of corporate disclosure of the companies from the two samples. Consistent with the IMF/World Bank report, the study revealed that the level of corporate disclosure in the BSE sample was low but increasing. However, the increase in the level of corporate disclosure varied from sector to sector and the specific information items. The study also showed that integrated reporting was not practised at all by the companies in the BSE sample. Comparatively, companies in the JSE sample had a higher level of corporate disclosure than that of companies in the BSE sample; and the rate of increase was much higher than that in the BSE sample. The study further found integrated reporting practiced in the entire JSE sample, although at different levels. xi This study also noted that although in principle it is sensible to benchmark from the best, other fundamental factors need to be considered before carrying out the exercise. Furthermore, the study indicated that the prevalent low level of corporate disclosure in the BSE sample was evidence that the corporate reporting environment in which the BSE lies was not conducive for the theories of corporate disclosure to fully explain corporate disclosure. A number of recommendations were made including establishing corporate disclosure indices and creation of a corporate environment in which all the theories discussed in the study can explain corporate disclosure. This study contributes to the literature on cross-country corporate disclosure and cautions companies with low levels of corporate disclosure not to embark on benchmarking without creating an environment conducive for corporate reporting. The study also offers useful insights to policymakers in Botswana and South Africa; and stimulates further research on cross-country corporate disclosure. The academia too will be able to identify areas for further research from this study. / Business Management / M. Com. (Accounting)

Corporate reporting has changed from the traditional form of reporting which covered financial information only to the modern form of reporting called integrated reporting which covers, financial, corporate governance and sustainability information. The levels of corporate disclosure among corporate entities within any country and between countries are thus likely to have been affected by this change. Motivated by the IMF/World Bank (2006) that observed that corporate reporting improved in Botswana during the previous five years, without indicating what the actual level was or how it compares with that of other countries; this study sought to determine the actual level of corporate disclosure of two samples of companies: 23 companies listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) and the top 40 companies (by market capitalisation) that are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). The study also shows how the two levels of corporate disclosure compare. This study is qualitative and descriptive by design; and involves analysing the content of the corporate annual report of each company in a sample using a corporate disclosure checklist; and determining the level of corporate disclosure for each sample of companies. The process ends with a comparative analysis of the levels of corporate disclosure of the companies from the two samples. Consistent with the IMF/World Bank report, the study revealed that the level of corporate disclosure in the BSE sample was low but increasing. However, the increase in the level of corporate disclosure varied from sector to sector and the specific information items. The study also showed that integrated reporting was not practised at all by the companies in the BSE sample. Comparatively, companies in the JSE sample had a higher level of corporate disclosure than that of companies in the BSE sample; and the rate of increase was much higher than that in the BSE sample. The study further found integrated reporting practiced in the entire JSE sample, although at different levels. xi This study also noted that although in principle it is sensible to benchmark from the best, other fundamental factors need to be considered before carrying out the exercise. Furthermore, the study indicated that the prevalent low level of corporate disclosure in the BSE sample was evidence that the corporate reporting environment in which the BSE lies was not conducive for the theories of corporate disclosure to fully explain corporate disclosure. A number of recommendations were made including establishing corporate disclosure indices and creation of a corporate environment in which all the theories discussed in the study can explain corporate disclosure. This study contributes to the literature on cross-country corporate disclosure and cautions companies with low levels of corporate disclosure not to embark on benchmarking without creating an environment conducive for corporate reporting. The study also offers useful insights to policymakers in Botswana and South Africa; and stimulates further research on cross-country corporate disclosure. The academia too will be able to identify areas for further research from this study. / Business Management / M. Com. (Accounting)

This thesis examined diverse students' experiences completing Ontario's community involvement requirement. An analysis of quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups among 50 current and recently graduated secondary school students from widely contrasting socio-economic settings showed ways in which diverse participants perceived their community involvement activities, the support for community involvement in their schools, and their associated opportunities to develop capacity to make changes toward a more socially just world. Results indicated that low-income participants reported dissimilar experiences from high-income participants, in relation to the support for community involvement provided by school staffs, participants' direct or distant relationships with service recipients, and their sense of individual and collective agency to effect change. Thus, this study challenges the assumption that all students in Ontario have equal access to the citizenship education learning opportunities embedded in meaningful community involvement activities.

This thesis examined diverse students' experiences completing Ontario's community involvement requirement. An analysis of quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups among 50 current and recently graduated secondary school students from widely contrasting socio-economic settings showed ways in which diverse participants perceived their community involvement activities, the support for community involvement in their schools, and their associated opportunities to develop capacity to make changes toward a more socially just world. Results indicated that low-income participants reported dissimilar experiences from high-income participants, in relation to the support for community involvement provided by school staffs, participants' direct or distant relationships with service recipients, and their sense of individual and collective agency to effect change. Thus, this study challenges the assumption that all students in Ontario have equal access to the citizenship education learning opportunities embedded in meaningful community involvement activities.

Dans un contexte où le recours au mécanisme des lois de police apparaît de plus en plus fréquent et facilité sur le plan des conflits de lois, la perte d’impérativité que connaissent ces dispositions du fait des solutions libérales retenues sur le plan des conflits de juridictions, conduit à s’interroger sur la possibilité d’apporter des correctifs. En droit positif, l’admission généralisée des clauses de prorogation de for, étatique et arbitral, malgré l’applicabilité d’une loi de police, associée à un système de reconnaissance pratiquement automatique des jugements étrangers et des sentences arbitrales au stade du contentieux de l’exequatur, conduit à rendre ces dispositions globalement semi-nécessaires dans les rapports internationaux. Alors que la mise en œuvre des lois de police devant un for étatique étranger ou arbitral apparaît très incertaine et que la violation de ces dispositions ne fait pas obstacle à la reconnaissance d’un jugement ou d’une sentence qui les aurait négligées, les clauses de prorogation de for apparaissent comme des instruments à la disposition des parties pour se livrer au forum shopping et contourner les impérativités étatiques. Cette solution, paradoxale et peu satisfaisante, compte tenu de l’importance et de la nature des intérêts par principe mis en cause à travers ces dispositions, incite à envisager une solution permettant de restaurer l’impérativité des lois de police dans les conflits de juridictions. Dès lors que ce résultat apparaît comme la conséquence du maintien du principe traditionnel de l’indépendance des compétences législative et juridictionnelle malgré le lien existant entre forum et jus en matière de lois de police, ce constat conduit à s’interroger sur la possibilité de déroger exceptionnellement à ce principe pour consacrer un forum legis impératif et exclusif, fondé sur l’applicabilité d’une telle disposition. Cette solution, restaurant efficacement l’impérativité des lois de police dans leur for d’origine, devrait néanmoins être associée à la mise en place d’un mécanisme de coordination des systèmes permettant de prolonger son efficacité devant les fors étrangers. Il pourrait trouver ses fondements dans certains procédés préexistants, susceptibles d’être adaptés à la réalisation de l’objectif de protection des impérativités étatiques poursuivis. La mise en place de différents mécanismes, apparentés à celui du forum non conveniens, fondés sur un système de coopération interjuridictionnelle ou inspirés de la méthode de référence à l’ordre juridique compétent envisagée par P. Picone, pourrait permettre d’assurer, à l’étranger, le respect des lois de police du for dans des hypothèses différentes. De manière transversale, la restauration de l’impérativité des lois de police pourrait être assurée grâce à un recours à la notion d’ordre juridique prépondérant. Désignant un ordre juridique dont une loi de police mettant directement en cause un intérêt étatique réellement fondamental serait applicable au fond du litige, elle devrait pouvoir fonder la reconnaissance de la vocation plus forte de celui-ci à faire valoir ses vues pour la résolution d’un litige. Elle pourrait fonder à la fois la revendication de compétence juridictionnelle prioritaire de celui-ci pour trancher le différend et un effacement des fors étrangers pour faire prévaloir le point de vue qu’il retient. Une telle solution, étroitement délimitée et justifiée au regard de l’importance des intérêts mis en cause, assurerait une solution satisfaisante permettant à la fois d’articuler harmonieusement la poursuite de la politique libérale qui s’impose dans les conflits de juridictions avec le respect des lois de police et de réconcilier la protection des impérativités étatiques avec la coordination des systèmes. / In times of mandatory provisions becoming more and more prevalent, based on conflict of law, the concept of mandatory enforcement appears to be somehow diluted regarding the liberal solutions found in conflicts of jurisdictions. In positive law, mandatory rules do not prevent the enforcement of a forum clause, no more than they are considered during the enforcement stage of decisions. While the application of these rules before foreign courts and arbitrators is very uncertain and does not raise obstacles to the recognition of foreign judgments or arbitral judgment which overlook them, choice of forum clauses has become an instrument of forum shopping in order to avoid mandatory regulations. This solution paradoxically induces a search for a solution to restore there international imperativity. This result has appeared as a consequence of the principle of separation of conflicts of law and conflicts of jurisdictions. That observation leads to ask questions about the possibility of an exemption to this general principle. Indeed, this encourages to consider the possibility to admit a correlation between forum and jus in order to establish imperative and exclusive competence, based on the applicability of such mandatory rules. This forum legis would require to maintain the litigation in its courts and could ensure their application in international relations. However, unilateralism that governs rules of judicial competence should involve the establishment of a mechanism of different legal systems coordination. Depending on the type of mandatory rules concerned, it could be based on an adapted form of forum non conveniens, on international judicial Co-operation processes, or be inspired by the method of reference to the competent legal order envisaged by P. Picone. The deployment of these solutions could be based on using preponderant state notion, that would be the one with the most widely public policy involved. It would lead to the recognition of the strong vocation of it to assert its views for the resolution of a dispute and would justify both the priority jurisdiction of its courts and circumspection of the other jurisdictional authorities to exercise their competence. Such a solution, tightly defined and justified in view of the importance of the interests involved, would provide a satisfactory solution to both harmoniously articulate the pursuit of liberal politics required in conflicts of jurisdictions with respect of public policy, and reconcile the protection of imperativities with the coordination of legal systems.

Opérations particulièrement complexes, les offres publiques d'acquisition ne cessent de faire parler d'elles, plus particulièrement lorsqu'elles présentent un caractère hostile pour la société visée. De nombreux efforts législatifs ont été mis en œuvre en vue d'encadrer les OPA et de lutter contre les prises de contrôle rampantes. L'analyse du droit positif permet de mettre en lumière ces différents efforts ainsi que leur mise en œuvre à travers diverses techniques par les sociétés visées. Ces dernières ont par ailleurs développé un certain nombre de mécanismes de défense anti-OPA particulièrement efficaces, mais se révélant le plus souvent insuffisants face à l'ingéniosité dont peut faire preuve l'initiateur. Le droit positif montre ainsi ses limites face à des pratiques qui ne cessent d'évoluer. L'analyse prospective du droit anti-OPA permet d'observer les nouvelles mutations que subit le droit positif au regard des nouveaux enjeux économiques. Elle permet également d'envisager de nouveaux modes d'appréhension des OPA hostiles. Il est ainsi possible d'observer que le gouvernement d'entreprise prend une place considérable dans la vie des sociétés cotées. De même, la montée en puissance de la régulation et l'interventionnisme de l’État sont de plus en plus marqués ; et les salariés s'impliquent de plus en plus dans la gestion de l'entreprise. L'ensemble de ces paramètres marquent un glissement progressif vers une réorganisation du mode de fonctionnement des sociétés, ce qui a amené au développement du soft law, un droit à la frontière du droit positif et des pratiques des sociétés. Le soft law constitue à ce titre une approche inédite des OPA hostiles, dont l'analyse permet de cerner les apports liés à la mutation du droit positif et d'envisager l'émergence de nouveaux moyens de défense. Celui-ci doit toutefois demeurer complémentaire au cadre législatif et réglementaire existant. / No abstract

L'opera esamina l'intervento pubblico nella gestione del rapporto di lavoro sotto il profilo storico e giuridico nelle tre fasi d'instaurazione, gestione e cessazione del rapporto. Si valorizza anche il ruolo specifico dei tre poteri legislativo, esecutivo e giudiziario, con particolare riguardo all'analisi sistematica del diritto amministrativo del lavoro. L'opera intende porre in luce gli elementi logici, giuridici ed assiologici di questo ramo del diritto del lavoro, per ricondurne le fattispecie esaminate ad un sistema coerente e razionale e per suggerirne sia un metodo d'analisi de iure condito sia una prospettiva per una lettura ed una proposta de iure condendo. / This work analyses how public powers affects labour relationships both from the historical and the juridical points of view. The three main phases of labour relationships beginning, management and end are examined separately. The specific contributions by the three public powers legislative, administrative and judiciary especially by the public administration, are also dealt with. The goal is to illustrate the logical, juridical and ethical elements of this branch of the labour law, in order to build a rational system for both the analysis de iure condito and the debate de iure condendo.