Abstract Copyright is designed to not interfere with society's general and overriding interest of effective competition. An effective market competition benefits consumers by lowering prices, raising the quality and expands the range of goods and services. The purpose of the paper is to investigate if the collecting societies licensing violates competition laws. On the basis of the investigation regarding the bill for a new Swedish copyright law (URL), mainly the new wording that regulates the license agreement, corresponds to the EU competition rules and customs within the area. The collecting societies licensing violates the competition laws in the following cases • Discrimination of members because of nationality •           Authors transferring their sole rights to global exploitation •           The collecting society have the right to manage the rights after the author have left as a member •           Users that are established abroad do not get access to the repertoire of  the collecting societies, the same goes for concerted practice if this is the purpose or result •           Parallel behaviours that cannot be explained objectively •           Dividing the market •           Fixed Prices •           Refusal to sign multi-territorial licenses •           Apply different conditions for equivalent transactions resulting in competition disadvantages for a company that cannot be justified by reasonable causes Currently there are no indications that the new bill to a new URL violates EU law. The author of the paper thinks this may change if the collective management extends, so that other member states get the extended license agreements, then the single market is affected by the competition restriction that the new bill to the URL mean. The author of the paper thinks that the bill for a new URL should be changed so that a collective society will not get monopoly to sign licenses with extended license agreements. / Sammanfattning Upphovsrätten är utformad i syfte att inte inkräkta på samhällets generella och överordnade intresse av en effektiv konkurrens. En effektiv marknadskonkurrens gynnar konsumenterna genom att den pressar priserna, höjer kvaliteten och ökar utbudet av varor och tjänster. Syftet med uppsatsen är att utreda om upphovsrättsorganisationernas licensering strider mot konkurrenslagstiftningen. Utifrån den utredningen granskas om lagförslaget till en ny URL, framförallt den nya lydelsen som reglerar avtalslicenser, stämmer överens med EU:s konkurrensregler och praxis på området.  I följande fall strider upphovsrättsorganisations licensering mot konkurrensrätten •           Diskriminering av medlemmarna på grund av nationalitet •           Upphovsmännen överlåter sina rättigheter med ensamrätt för en global exploatering •           Upphovsrättsorganisationen har rätt att förvalta rättigheterna efter att upphovsmannen utträtt som medlem •           Användare som är etablerade utomlands får inte tillgång till upphovsrättsorganisationens repertoar, gäller även samordnade förfaranden om detta är syftet eller resultatet •           Parallella beteenden som inte kan förklaras objektivt •           Uppdelning av marknaden •           Prissamarbeten •           Vägra teckna multi-territoriella licenser •           Tillämpa olika villkor för likvärdiga transaktioner med följden att ena bolaget får en konkurrensnackdel som inte går att rättfärdiga genom sakliga skäl I nuläget finns inget som tyder på att det nya lagförslaget till en ny URL strider mot EU-rätten. Enligt uppsatsförfattarens åsikt kan detta ändras om den kollektiva förvaltningen utökas så att den får avtalslicensverkan även i andra medlemsländer varpå den inre marknaden påverkas av den konkurrensbegränsning som det nya lagförslaget till en ny URL innebär. Uppsatsförfattaren anser att lagförslaget till en ny URL bör ändras så att inte en upphovsrättsorganisation ges monopol att teckna licens med avtalslicensverkan.

R??sum?? : Le pr??sent essai doctoral vise ?? d??finir les facteurs de risque ou de protection de l???engagement paternel chez les p??res ayant eu recours ?? la m??diation ordonn??e (Mo) et ?? l???expertise psychosociale (Exp). L?????tude de 222 dossiers l??gaux et la r??alisation de 22 entrevues repose sur une approche exploratoire dont les donn??es quantitatives et qualitatives ont ??t?? recueillies de fa??on ponctuelle (entrevues) et en r??trospective (analyse des dossiers). Cet essai pr??sente ?? notre connaissance des donn??es originales. L'analyse des tendances d??mographiques nomm??e ?? analyse populationnelle dynamique ?? et les donn??es qui en sont issues sont appel??es ?? donn??es populationnelles ??. Elles tracent un portrait des p??res qui tient compte du contexte social dans lequel ils ??voluent et situent les ??chantillons sur la courbe normale ou selon le crit??re ??valu??. Cette m??thode d'analyse soutient avantageusement le mod??le ??cologique de Bronfenbrenner (1979). Les r??sultats indiquent qu???au-del?? des proc??dures de cour, le facteur de risque le plus important ?? l???engagement paternel est la difficile communication avec l???ex-conjointe appel??e ?? communication d??gradant le lien parental ?? dont les deux piliers sont la d??pr??ciation et l'obstruction. Le conflit qui oppose les parents est de longue dur??e et se prolonge parfois sur une d??cennie. Cette intensit?? de conflit discrimine le profil des p??res utilisant la m??diation ordonn??e de celui des p??res utilisant la m??diation volontaire. ?? ce conflit sont associ??s des co??ts psychologiques chez les p??res et leur famille, mais ??galement des co??ts financiers attribuables ?? la longueur des proc??dures de cour. Ces co??ts constituent ??galement un facteur de risque tout comme les caract??ristiques des couples pr??sentant des ??carts d?????ge, de valeurs et de culture. Les recommandations de l???expertise et les ententes de la m??diation ordonn??e ont un effet de courte dur??e sur le conflit qui oppose les parents. Les p??res per??oivent l???expertise comme un facteur de protection de leur engagement, car leur capacit?? parentale y est reconnue et les recommandations que contiennent les expertises influencent les d??cisions de la cour. La capacit?? des p??res ?? valoriser leur r??le parental et les strat??gies utilis??es pour contrer une communication d??nigrante sont ??galement des facteurs de protection. De ces constats se d??gage une s??rie de recommandations visant tant la recherche que les interventions cliniques. // Abstract : This doctoral essay seeks to define the risk or protective factors of paternal involvement among fathers who have recourse to court-ordered mediation (Mo) and custody assessment (Exp). An examination of 222 legal cases and the 22 interviews which were conducted is based on an approach that is exploratory (both quantitative and qualitative), case-by-case (interviews) and retrospective (case-file analysis), which to our knowledge is innovative in many ways. The analysis of demographic trends called "population-based dynamic analysis", while the data derived from it are called "population-based data". They paint a portrait of fathers that takes into account the social context in which they find themselves and place the samples on a normal curve or in accordance with the criterion being evaluated. This method of analysis favorably supports Bronfenbrenner???s ecological model (1979). The results indicate that beyond court procedures, the most significant paternal-involvement risk factor is difficult communication with the ex-wife, called "communication detrimental to the parental relationship", which is based on two major pillars: depreciation and obstruction. These pillars present a conceptual affinity with parental alienation, negative co-parenting and restrictive gatekeeping. The conflict between the parents is long-lasting, sometimes extending over a decade. This conflict intensity distinguishes the profiles of fathers using court-ordered mediation from those using voluntary mediation. Psychological and financial costs for the fathers and their family associated with the length of court procedures constitute a risk factor as well, as do the characteristics of couples of differing ages, values and cultures. Court custody assessments and court-ordered mediation have a short-term effect on parental conflict. However, fathers perceived court custody assessments as a protective factor for their paternal involvement because their parenting ability is thus recognized and recommendations contained in the assessments influence court decisions. The ability of fathers to enhance their parenting role and the strategies they use to counter derogatory communications are also protective factors. These findings result in a series of recommendations aimed both at research and clinical interventions.

R??sum?? : Le pr??sent essai doctoral vise ?? d??finir les facteurs de risque ou de protection de l???engagement paternel chez les p??res ayant eu recours ?? la m??diation ordonn??e (Mo) et ?? l???expertise psychosociale (Exp). L?????tude de 222 dossiers l??gaux et la r??alisation de 22 entrevues repose sur une approche exploratoire dont les donn??es quantitatives et qualitatives ont ??t?? recueillies de fa??on ponctuelle (entrevues) et en r??trospective (analyse des dossiers). Cet essai pr??sente ?? notre connaissance des donn??es originales. L'analyse des tendances d??mographiques nomm??e ?? analyse populationnelle dynamique ?? et les donn??es qui en sont issues sont appel??es ?? donn??es populationnelles ??. Elles tracent un portrait des p??res qui tient compte du contexte social dans lequel ils ??voluent et situent les ??chantillons sur la courbe normale ou selon le crit??re ??valu??. Cette m??thode d'analyse soutient avantageusement le mod??le ??cologique de Bronfenbrenner (1979). Les r??sultats indiquent qu???au-del?? des proc??dures de cour, le facteur de risque le plus important ?? l???engagement paternel est la difficile communication avec l???ex-conjointe appel??e ?? communication d??gradant le lien parental ?? dont les deux piliers sont la d??pr??ciation et l'obstruction. Le conflit qui oppose les parents est de longue dur??e et se prolonge parfois sur une d??cennie. Cette intensit?? de conflit discrimine le profil des p??res utilisant la m??diation ordonn??e de celui des p??res utilisant la m??diation volontaire. ?? ce conflit sont associ??s des co??ts psychologiques chez les p??res et leur famille, mais ??galement des co??ts financiers attribuables ?? la longueur des proc??dures de cour. Ces co??ts constituent ??galement un facteur de risque tout comme les caract??ristiques des couples pr??sentant des ??carts d?????ge, de valeurs et de culture. Les recommandations de l???expertise et les ententes de la m??diation ordonn??e ont un effet de courte dur??e sur le conflit qui oppose les parents. Les p??res per??oivent l???expertise comme un facteur de protection de leur engagement, car leur capacit?? parentale y est reconnue et les recommandations que contiennent les expertises influencent les d??cisions de la cour. La capacit?? des p??res ?? valoriser leur r??le parental et les strat??gies utilis??es pour contrer une communication d??nigrante sont ??galement des facteurs de protection. De ces constats se d??gage une s??rie de recommandations visant tant la recherche que les interventions cliniques. // Abstract : This doctoral essay seeks to define the risk or protective factors of paternal involvement among fathers who have recourse to court-ordered mediation (Mo) and custody assessment (Exp). An examination of 222 legal cases and the 22 interviews which were conducted is based on an approach that is exploratory (both quantitative and qualitative), case-by-case (interviews) and retrospective (case-file analysis), which to our knowledge is innovative in many ways. The analysis of demographic trends called "population-based dynamic analysis", while the data derived from it are called "population-based data". They paint a portrait of fathers that takes into account the social context in which they find themselves and place the samples on a normal curve or in accordance with the criterion being evaluated. This method of analysis favorably supports Bronfenbrenner???s ecological model (1979). The results indicate that beyond court procedures, the most significant paternal-involvement risk factor is difficult communication with the ex-wife, called "communication detrimental to the parental relationship", which is based on two major pillars: depreciation and obstruction. These pillars present a conceptual affinity with parental alienation, negative co-parenting and restrictive gatekeeping. The conflict between the parents is long-lasting, sometimes extending over a decade. This conflict intensity distinguishes the profiles of fathers using court-ordered mediation from those using voluntary mediation. Psychological and financial costs for the fathers and their family associated with the length of court procedures constitute a risk factor as well, as do the characteristics of couples of differing ages, values and cultures. Court custody assessments and court-ordered mediation have a short-term effect on parental conflict. However, fathers perceived court custody assessments as a protective factor for their paternal involvement because their parenting ability is thus recognized and recommendations contained in the assessments influence court decisions. The ability of fathers to enhance their parenting role and the strategies they use to counter derogatory communications are also protective factors. These findings result in a series of recommendations aimed both at research and clinical interventions.

La concurrence entre professionnels pour la délivrance de leurs services dans l'économie est très importante. D'une part, la société de professionnels désire protéger ses intérêts économiques et, d'autre part, le professionnel a le droit de gagner sa vie. C'est ainsi que les clauses de non-concurrence visent à protéger ces deux intérêts divergents. La jurisprudence portant sur les clauses de non-concurrence en matière de contrats de travail et de contrats de vente d'entreprise est bien établie. Il s'agit de déterminer si la clause est raisonnable selon les critères de la limitation dans le temps et dans l'espace. Cependant, tant la jurisprudence que la doctrine s'est très peu penchée sur le défi particulier que présente les clauses de non-concurrence dans les sociétés de professionnels. En effet, l'ordre public se veut plus exigeant vis-à-vis les professionnels étant donné que ces derniers sont régis par codes de déontologie qui prévoient le droit du public de choisir un professionnel. Dans le cas des avocats, ce droit se trouve également dans les chartes canadiennes et québécoises. Il s'agit donc de facteurs qui s'appliquent uniquement aux professionnels. Notre objectif est de proposer un cadre d'analyse propre aux clauses de non-concurrence dans les sociétés de professionnels qui privilégient la liberté contractuelle des professionnels, particulièrement à la lumière de la définition de la notion d'entreprise prévue au Code civil du Québec depuis 1994. Les tribunaux reconnaissent que les clauses de non-concurrence consenties entre professionnels d'égale valeur sont valides. Ces clauses doivent être raisonnables afin de respecter l'ordre public. Dans le cas particulier des professionnels, les tribunaux doivent tenir compte du droit du public de choisir son professionnel. Ce droit est tributaire de la relation intuitu personae qui existe entre le professionnel et son client. Afin de respecter ce droit, les tribunaux ont été réticents à ordonner des injonctions contre le professionnel-quittant et ont plutôt choisi de lui imposer des sanctions économiques. En donnant effet aux clauses pénales contre le professionnel-quittant, les intérêts économiques de la société de professionnels sont protégés et l'équilibre entre les droits du professionnel et de l'entreprise rétabli. Finalement, qu'ils soient salariés ou associés, les professionnels ont un devoir de loyauté envers leur employeur. Cette obligation est prévue à l'article 2088 du Code civil du Québec. À ce devoir s'ajoute le devoir de tenir le secret professionnel prévu dans les codes de déontologie qui régissent les professionnels de sorte que le professionnel a non seulement un devoir de loyauté envers son employeur mais aussi un devoir de loyauté vis-à-vis son client. Le statut particulier du professionnel dans le marché du travail est donc le résultat des obligations qui lui sont imposées par la déontologie professionnelle. / Professional parlnerships offer services to the public and in the services industry the most valuable asset to an enterprise is its clients. Due to the nature of competition in the marketplace, an entreprise wishes to protect its most valuable asset. Professionals have a right to work and wish to protect their clients. Non-competition clauses are thus designed to strike a balance between the deparling professional's right to work and the parlnership's right to protect its clients. Although the caselaw in matters of restrictive convenants as they apply to employment contracts and sales of enterprises is well-established, more consideration is needed in matters relating to non-competition clauses between professionals and the parlnerships in which they worked given the Iimited caselaw and doctrine on the subject. In fact, non-competition clauses as they relate to professionals must take into account factors such as the public's right to choose a professional provided for in specifie Codes of Ethics and, with respect to attorneys, present in the Canadian and Quebec Charlers. Our objective is to bring to light these factors as they apply to professionais and professional parlnerships. Our analysis emphasizes freedom to contract between professionals given the commercial nature of professional services confirmed by the Civil Code of Quebec in 1994 in its definition of the notion of enterprise. The caselaw demonstrates that Courts have generally recognized that non-competition clauses entered into by competent professionals are valid insofar as they are reasonable. The clauses must therefore respect the traditional criteria of limitation in time and space. However, public order considerations with respect to professionals dictate that clients have a right to choose their professionals given the intimate nature that often characterizes professional client relationships. In order to respect this right Courts have been reluctant to impose injunctions on the professionals that compete for the clients with their former firm. However, the balance between the interests of the professional partnership and those of the professional and the client is struck by enforcing penal clauses against the departing professional thus imposing monetary sanctions that serve to protect the economic interests of the partnership. Final/y, the obligation of loyalty and trust that an employee owes to his employer provided for in article 2088 of the Quebec Civil Code also applies to professionals whether they are salaried or partners in the partnership. In addition, all professionals are subject to the obligations contained in their respective Code of Ethics such as professional secrecy. Therefore, the obligation of loyaltyand trust (fiduciary obligations) of the professional extend not only to the employer but to the client thus confirming the unique status of professionals in the workplace. / "Mémoire présenté à la Faculté des études supérieures en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maître en droit (LL.M.)"

El propósito de la presente monografía es investigar si un grupo de hablantes no nativos de español, todos de nivel muy avanzado, usan los adjetivos modificadores en su discurso espontáneo de una manera parecida a la nativa, y más particularmente en qué medida los colocan de manera idiomática delante o detrás del substantivo. El material usado consiste, por un lado, de entrevistas, en las cuales los participantes cuentan de sus propias vidas, y por el otro lado, de una tarea en la que comentan la acción en un videoclip de la película Tiempos Modernos (de Charlie Chaplin). Los participantes del estudio son diez suecos que residen en Chile desde hace por lo menos 5 años. La hipótesis es que, dada una constatada tendencia conservadora general en los hablantes de una segunda lengua que los llevaría a “ir por lo seguro“, los sujetos sobreusarían la opción no marcada, o sea, la posposición, en la colocación de los adjetivos. Los adjetivos están categorizados en dos grupos: uno de adjetivos cotidianos que tienden a anteponerse al sustantivo (bueno, malo, pequeño, grande, pobre, puro, nuevo, viejo, alto), y los restantes adjetivos, que por defecto aparecen en posición posnominal (p.ej. laboral, sueco, libre, desnudo, rápido, cultural, blanco, redondo, privado etc.). Los resultados no apoyan la hipótesis, en el sentido de que los participantes no nativos tienden a sobreusar la posposición. Estos participantes son comparados con un grupo de control que consiste de diez hablantes de español L1 que residen en Chile. Un aspecto que discrepa en el grupo de hablantes no nativos es el uso del adjetivo grande, para el cual los no nativos prefieren la posposición. También destaca el hecho que los participantes nativos son más propensos a usar adjetivos en general en comparación con el grupo no nativo. / The purpose of this thesis is to investigate to what extent a group of non-native Spanish speakers, all of whom are highly proficient users of L2 Spanish, use modifying adjectives in spontaneous discourse in a targetlike manner and, particularly, to what extent they place them idiomatically before or after the noun. The corpus used consists of interviews, in which the subjects talk about their lives, and another task in which they comment the action of a videoclip from the movie ‘Modern Times’ (by Charlie Chaplin). The subjects of the study are ten Swedes that have lived in Chile for at least 5 years. The assumption being the tendency for second language speakers to be generally conservative and choose to ‘go for what's safe’, it is hypothesized that the L2 users would overuse the unmarked option for placing adjectives, namely after the noun. The adjectives are divided into two categories: one consisting of everyday adjectives that strongly tend to be placed ahead of the noun (bueno, malo, pequeño, grande, nuevo, pobre, puro, viejo, alto) and the other of adjectives that appear in postposition by default (e.g. laboral, sueco, libre, desnudo, rápido, cultural, blanco, redondo, privado etc.). The results don’t support the hypothesis, in the sense that the non-native participants tend to overuse postposition. The L2 participants have been compared to a control group consisting of ten L1 Spanish speakers living in Chile. One aspect that differs in the non-native group is the use of grande, for which the non-native speakers, unlike the natives, prefer postposition. What also stands out is the fact that native speakers are more prone to using adjectives in general compared to the non-native group.

The outset of this study is to contribute to the literature concerning China’s increasing economic interest to engage in the African context, its economies and resource abundandce. The overarching research problem is that the approaches held by the respective African state entities may facilitate increasing development gains for the recipient state of this economic interest in principle. To adress this research problem the study is undertaken by conducting a comparative case study where three cases/states, with presumably diverging economic and political status, are likely to effect their overall state approaches differently. Research questions, which are addressed by the creation of an idealtype analytic matrix, concern whether the states of South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe take on a more ‘permissive’ or ‘restrictive’ approach towards China’s economic interst and whether the approaches can be looked upon on both aggratege and case/area-specific levels. The main findings are that a clear tendency of the ‘permissive approach’ may be noted on a aggregate level for all cases. Further, the cases’ economic and poltical status does not necessarily effect this aggregate tendency but but rather the dynamics in case-specific areas deemed relevant in this analysis. The desire to grasp the interest seems greater than internal dynamics.

"Mémoire présenté à la Faculté des études supérieures en vue de l'obtention du grade de Maître en droit (LL.M.)" / La concurrence entre professionnels pour la délivrance de leurs services dans l'économie est très importante. D'une part, la société de professionnels désire protéger ses intérêts économiques et, d'autre part, le professionnel a le droit de gagner sa vie. C'est ainsi que les clauses de non-concurrence visent à protéger ces deux intérêts divergents. La jurisprudence portant sur les clauses de non-concurrence en matière de contrats de travail et de contrats de vente d'entreprise est bien établie. Il s'agit de déterminer si la clause est raisonnable selon les critères de la limitation dans le temps et dans l'espace. Cependant, tant la jurisprudence que la doctrine s'est très peu penchée sur le défi particulier que présente les clauses de non-concurrence dans les sociétés de professionnels. En effet, l'ordre public se veut plus exigeant vis-à-vis les professionnels étant donné que ces derniers sont régis par codes de déontologie qui prévoient le droit du public de choisir un professionnel. Dans le cas des avocats, ce droit se trouve également dans les chartes canadiennes et québécoises. Il s'agit donc de facteurs qui s'appliquent uniquement aux professionnels. Notre objectif est de proposer un cadre d'analyse propre aux clauses de non-concurrence dans les sociétés de professionnels qui privilégient la liberté contractuelle des professionnels, particulièrement à la lumière de la définition de la notion d'entreprise prévue au Code civil du Québec depuis 1994. Les tribunaux reconnaissent que les clauses de non-concurrence consenties entre professionnels d'égale valeur sont valides. Ces clauses doivent être raisonnables afin de respecter l'ordre public. Dans le cas particulier des professionnels, les tribunaux doivent tenir compte du droit du public de choisir son professionnel. Ce droit est tributaire de la relation intuitu personae qui existe entre le professionnel et son client. Afin de respecter ce droit, les tribunaux ont été réticents à ordonner des injonctions contre le professionnel-quittant et ont plutôt choisi de lui imposer des sanctions économiques. En donnant effet aux clauses pénales contre le professionnel-quittant, les intérêts économiques de la société de professionnels sont protégés et l'équilibre entre les droits du professionnel et de l'entreprise rétabli. Finalement, qu'ils soient salariés ou associés, les professionnels ont un devoir de loyauté envers leur employeur. Cette obligation est prévue à l'article 2088 du Code civil du Québec. À ce devoir s'ajoute le devoir de tenir le secret professionnel prévu dans les codes de déontologie qui régissent les professionnels de sorte que le professionnel a non seulement un devoir de loyauté envers son employeur mais aussi un devoir de loyauté vis-à-vis son client. Le statut particulier du professionnel dans le marché du travail est donc le résultat des obligations qui lui sont imposées par la déontologie professionnelle. / Professional parlnerships offer services to the public and in the services industry the most valuable asset to an enterprise is its clients. Due to the nature of competition in the marketplace, an entreprise wishes to protect its most valuable asset. Professionals have a right to work and wish to protect their clients. Non-competition clauses are thus designed to strike a balance between the deparling professional's right to work and the parlnership's right to protect its clients. Although the caselaw in matters of restrictive convenants as they apply to employment contracts and sales of enterprises is well-established, more consideration is needed in matters relating to non-competition clauses between professionals and the parlnerships in which they worked given the Iimited caselaw and doctrine on the subject. In fact, non-competition clauses as they relate to professionals must take into account factors such as the public's right to choose a professional provided for in specifie Codes of Ethics and, with respect to attorneys, present in the Canadian and Quebec Charlers. Our objective is to bring to light these factors as they apply to professionais and professional parlnerships. Our analysis emphasizes freedom to contract between professionals given the commercial nature of professional services confirmed by the Civil Code of Quebec in 1994 in its definition of the notion of enterprise. The caselaw demonstrates that Courts have generally recognized that non-competition clauses entered into by competent professionals are valid insofar as they are reasonable. The clauses must therefore respect the traditional criteria of limitation in time and space. However, public order considerations with respect to professionals dictate that clients have a right to choose their professionals given the intimate nature that often characterizes professional client relationships. In order to respect this right Courts have been reluctant to impose injunctions on the professionals that compete for the clients with their former firm. However, the balance between the interests of the professional partnership and those of the professional and the client is struck by enforcing penal clauses against the departing professional thus imposing monetary sanctions that serve to protect the economic interests of the partnership. Final/y, the obligation of loyalty and trust that an employee owes to his employer provided for in article 2088 of the Quebec Civil Code also applies to professionals whether they are salaried or partners in the partnership. In addition, all professionals are subject to the obligations contained in their respective Code of Ethics such as professional secrecy. Therefore, the obligation of loyaltyand trust (fiduciary obligations) of the professional extend not only to the employer but to the client thus confirming the unique status of professionals in the workplace.

Doctor Legum - LLD / The ideals of shareholder and creditor protection are affected by legislation pertaining to the validity of a company’s transactions. Until legislative reforms introduced in the twentieth century, a company’s capacity and the ultra vires doctrine traditionally limited the company’s ability to contract. Therefore, the legal framework regulating corporate capacity influences a company’s interactions with outsiders. The goal of the law in this regard should be to facilitate commerce while providing adequate protection to all affected stakeholders. South Africa’s Companies Act 71 of 2008 (the Act) contains several novel provisions regarding a company’s capacity, the desirability of which is questionable. Special purpose vehicles (SPVs) are used for various purposes in commerce, from asset holding in the financial services sector to concluding complex financial functions in corporate finance. For instance, traditional securitisation is a financial engineering technique that makes use of corporate SPVs. Traditional securitisation is a valuable risk management, earnings management, and corporate financing tool. Incorporators of securitisation SPVs often include capacity restrictions in the constitutions of such entities as a means of reducing the likelihood that the SPV will be subject to liquidation proceedings.This thesis analyses the capacity provisions in the Act to determine whether they provide a commercially desirable framework to facilitate the activities of SPVs used in traditional securitisation schemes. The thesis argues that the capacity provisions in the Act in their current form are undesirable because they place third parties at too great a risk in exchange for inconsistent and unreliable shareholder protection. Executory ultra vires contracts concluded by limited capacity companies are at the same time valid and capable of being restrained by a single shareholder, director or prescribed officer of the company. It is argued that the Act’s approach to corporate capacity is detrimental to commercial certainty and creditor protection, and that capacity restrictions under the current framework do not provide any more shareholder protection than ordinary authority limitations would. Consequently, it is argued that the capacity provisions in the Act do not make a positive contribution to the “insolvency-remoteness” of SPVs used in traditional securitisation schemes. It is recommended that the capacity provisions in the Act should be substantially amended, or deleted.

Objective: This study sought to determine the factor structure of the newly developed self-report screening questionnaire Eating Disturbances in Youth-Questionnaire (EDY-Q) as well as to report the distribution of variants of early-onset restrictive eating disturbances characteristic of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in a middle childhood population sample. Method: Using the EDY-Q, a total of 1444 children aged 8-13 years were screened in elementary schools in Switzerland via self-report. The factor analysis of the 12 items covering ARFID related symptoms was performed using a principal component analysis (PCA). Results: The PCA showed a four factor solution, with clear allocation to the scales covering three variants of early-onset restrictive eating disturbances and weight problems. Inadequate overall food intake was reported by 19.3% of the children, a limited accepted amount of food by 26.1%, and food avoidance based on a specific underlying fear by 5.0%. Discussion: The postulated factor structure of the EDY-Q was confirmed, further supporting the existence of distinct variants of early-onset restrictive eating disturbances. Avoidant/restrictive eating behavior seems to be a common experience in middle childhood, but results have to be confirmed using validated interviews.

La récidive en communauté est associée à de lourdes conséquences financières et une atteinte à la santé publique. L’isolement cellulaire (IC) est une pratique adoptée pour répondre aux comportements perturbateurs en milieu carcéral, sans indications quant à l’impact sur la récidive. Environ 7% des détenus nord-américains sont logés en IC et plusieurs vivront une détérioration psychologique. De plus, la littérature ne démontre pas une réduction de l’inconduite suite à l’IC, mettant en doute la possibilité d’un changement comportemental. Clarifier l’effet de l’IC sur la récidive permettrait d’informer les débats récents autour de son rendement coût-efficacité et d’évaluer les risques de victimisation associés. Une revue systématique et une méta-analyse ont donc été menées afin d’élucider l’impact de l’IC sur la récidive. Des modèles à effets mixtes ont été employés pour quantifier l’association entre l’IC et la réarrestation, réincarcération ou récidive violente. Des sous-analyses ont permis d’évaluer le risque de récidive associé à différentes formes d’IC, la durée d’exposition et le temps écoulé entre la sortie d’IC et la libération. Notre article a démontré une association modérée entre l’IC et l’augmentation de la récidive, laquelle résistait au contrôle de facteurs confondants. L’IC était associé à l’augmentation des trois formes de récidive. De surcroît, une plus longue et récente exposition augmentait davantage ce risque. Ainsi, ce mémoire contribue à démontrer que l’IC ne présente pas de retombées comportementales pouvant contrebalancer ses coûts opérationnels ou sur la santé mentale des détenus. Plusieurs initiatives sont proposées pour faciliter la réintégration des détenus exposés à l’IC. / Recidivism amongst releasees bears heavy consequences for society in terms of financial costs and public health strain. Placing inmates in solitary confinement (SC) was adopted as a solution for disordered behaviors in prison, without indication as to its impacts on recidivism. Approximately 7% of North American inmates are housed in SC, many of whom will suffer psychological deterioration. Moreover, studies dispute that SC can reduce institutional misconduct, casting doubt on its potential for inspiring behavioral change. To clarify the effects of SC on recidivism would inform recent debates around its cost effectiveness and the evaluation of associated victimization risks. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to clarify the impact of SC on recidivism. Random-effects meta-analyses were carried out to quantify the association between SC and rearrest, reincarceration, and violent reoffense. Additional sub-analyses allowed to characterize recidivism risk following different forms of SC, lengthier periods of exposure, and shorter transition time between release from SC and to the community. Our article showed a moderate association between SC and increased recidivism, which remained robust to confounders. SC was associated with an increase in all forms of recidivism. Finally, longer and more recent exposure to SC upon release both further increased recidivism risk. This memoir thus provides further evidence that SC does not present significant benefits that could outweigh its associated mental health and financial costs. Finally, multiple initiatives are discussed in the context that they could facilitate community reentry for inmates exposed to SC.