M.A. / This research examines bargaining councils, the industrial level collective bargaining agents created by the new Labour Relations Act. This study contributes towards filling a gap not only in information that is lacking on bargaining councils, but also attempts to understand their dispute settlement role more fully. Two surveys were conducted, one, the content analysis of the constitutions of councils, and, the second, a questionnaire administered to bargaining councils, which particularly looked at their dispute work. Initial survey findings were qualified and extended through an investigation of a single council, the Clothing Industry Bargaining Council (Northern Areas). Bargaining councils place more emphasis on dispute settlement than industrial councils, and a particular difference between the two types of councils, relates to the potential role of bargaining councils to conduct arbitration. The level of accreditation may be linked to the union that is party to it. Further, a bargaining council’s ability to successfully resolve cases is dependent on clearly delineated procedures for settlement, the establishment of key relationships within the council, and, the accumulation of financial reserves. Importantly, the age of a bargaining council allows for these features to develop over time. The success of individual councils has overall benefits for labour relations in South Africa. Therefore, the formation of bargaining councils needs to be encouraged in sectors where, at present, they do not exist. Moreover, established councils should increasingly apply for accreditation for conciliation, and especially arbitration, where they are not accredited. This research modifies our understanding of councils by providing an indication of their importance in the current industrial relations dispensation, through an appreciation of the role of bargaining councils in dispute settlement. / Prof. P. Alexander

Si la chaîne de contrats est une notion éprouvée en droit civil, les chaînes d'actes n'ont pas reçu les mêmes honneurs en droit administratif. Pourtant, l'observation du champ de l'action administrative unilatérale et contractuelle dévoile les nombreuses hypothèses d'actes juridiquement liés selon un procédé d'enchaînement. Si l'acte administratif s'appréhende comme une action isolée, il est une entité liée au confluent de relations hiérarchiques, fonctionnelles et procédurales. En matérialisant les relations entre les actes, les chaînes se présentent comme l'assise d'un nouveau raisonnement, non plus centré sur l'acte dans son individualité, mais orienté sur une vision globale de ce dernier. Sans remettre en cause les apports de la conception individualiste à la théorie de l'acte, elles offrent un regard nouveau et complémentaire à travers les liens juridiques que l'acte entretient avec d'autres. Expression d'une conception de l'acte en relation, la chaîne d'actes est une notion matériellement hétérogène mais conceptuellement cohérente. Son intérêt théorique a été confirmé par sa confrontation à la réalité du droit positif. A défaut d'être l'application d'un certain régime juridique, les chaînes d'actes font la preuve de leur utilité dans la compréhension des solutions relatives aux relations entre les actes. En cernant les enjeux pratiques soulevés par des actes juridiquement liés, et en centralisant la variété des solutions positives jusqu'alors traitées de manière éparse, la recherche permet de déterminer les finalités des chaînes hiérarchiques et des chaînes fonctionnelles en droit administratif. / Although contracts chain is a proven concept in civil law, chains of acts have not been tackled adequately the public law. However, by observing the unilateral and contractual public scope, we may consider that the acts are legally bound by a chaining process. While the public act is seen as a lone action, the hierarchical, functional and procedural relations are all related to it. By focusing on the links between acts, we contribute to a new way of thinking not just focused on the act itself but as a whole. Without questioning the contributions made by the individualistic conception to the act theory, chains offer a new and complementary vision through the prism of their legal links with other acts. Resulting from a relationship acts understanding, the chains of acts is a physically heterogeneous concept but conceptually coherent. In its confrontation with positive law reality, his theoretical interest has been confirmed. Failing to be an application of a legal regime, chains acts are useful for understanding the solutions about links between acts. Both by identifying practical issues raised by acts legally bound and by centralizing the variety of positive solutions thinly addressed, this research allows to determine the hierarchical and functional chains purposes in administrative law.

A jurisdição internacional expande-se com a criação, a partir da segunda metade do século XX, de um grande número de entes jurisdicionais internacionais. Tais entes são usualmente criados com especialização em determinado segmento do direito internacional, o que de certa forma fragmenta a unidade do direito internacional. Paralelamente, o incremento na freqüência de casos processados perante os diversos tribunais internacionais multiplica a ocorrência de hipóteses em que a atuação de uma das cortes interfere na atuação das demais. Ainda não se criaram regras capazes de minimizar esta sobreposição de atuações. No campo mais restrito das jurisdições afetas ao comércio internacional, o problema de certa forma se repete. Atuam nesta área, sobretudo, o sistema de solução de controvérsias da Organização Mundial do Comércio (OMC), os diversos sistemas de solução de controvérsias dos diversos acordos regionais de integração (como é o caso do MERCOSUL), além dos próprios judiciários nacionais. Há vários episódios em que decisões judiciais nacionais geraram repercussões em litígios regionais e em litígios perante o sistema de solução de controvérsias da OMC. O mesmo ocorre na via inversa, ou seja, também há casos em que as decisões proferidas na OMC e nos sistemas regionais interferem na esfera nacional. De qualquer sorte, em função da capacidade da OMC fixar os principais parâmetros que hoje pautam o comércio internacional, o relacionamento entre os três diferentes níveis jurisdicionais OMC, regional e nacional acaba apresentando-se, concretamente, mais hierarquizado quando comparado aos demais segmentos da jurisdição internacional. Os litígios acerca do regime brasileiro de importação de pneus usados e reformados são representativos dos dilemas hoje existentes no relacionamento entre os diversos níveis de jurisdição e o desfecho dos casos, até o presente momento, aponta uma certa tentativa de adequação, por parte do judiciário brasileiro, de suas decisões aos entendimentos e recomendações advindos das esferas internacionais. / The international jurisdiction expands with the creation, from the second half of the twentieth century, of a large number of international judicial entities. Such entities are usually designed with specialization in a particular segment of international law, that somehow breaks the its unity. In parallel, the increase in the frequency of cases prosecuted before the various tribunals multiplies the occurrence in which the performance of one of the courts interferes in the actions of others. There are not yet rules to minimize this overlap. In the more restricted field of jurisdictions concerned with international trade, the problem repeats itself somehow. The adjudication in this area is especially offered by the WTO dispute settlement system, the correlates regional systems of dispute settlement (such as MERCOSUR), and the national judiciaries. There are several episodes in which national judgments echoed in regional disputes and in disputes before the dispute settlement system of WTO. The same occurs in the reverse path, ie, there are also cases in which decisions taken in the WTO and in regional systems interfered in the national sphere. Anyhow, in the capacity of the WTO to set the main parameters that guided international trade today, the relationship between the three different jurisdictional levels - WTO, regional and national - just show up more hierarchical when compared to other segments of international jurisdiction. Disputes about the Brazilian import regime for used and retreaded tires are representative of the dilemmas that exist today in the relationship between different levels of jurisdiction and the outcome of cases to date, indicates a certain attempt of adaptation, by the Brazilian judiciary, of its decisions to the understandings and recommendations of international spheres.

This thesis presents a case study of small state diplomacy. It investigates the international approaches of Guyana from 1966 to 1992, to the territorial controversy with Venezuela. The Anglo-Venezuelan dispute over the boundary with British Guiana was settled by arbitration in 1899, but was reopened in 1962. British Guiana gained its independence in May 1966, after an agreement was signed in Geneva, which designated the once settled dispute a "controversy". The foreign policy strategies deployed by Guyana demonstrate the extent to which a small state can effectively utilize diplomacy. The thesis challenges those interpretations which have viewed Guyana's foreign policy mainly in terms of a mechanism used by the government to secure legitimacy. Such arguments fail to consider the multifaceted characteristic of foreign policy and the threat to Guyana's territorial integrity from the more powerful Venezuela. It is contended that it would be more accurate to state that during periods of tensions with Venezuela, preservation of the Guyanese state was the principal goal of foreign policy. When relations improved, this goal was of continued importance, but other goals became prominent. The thesis analyses Guyanese-Venezuelan relations as Caracas pursued its claim. It evaluates Guyana's international response as its main defence strategy, given that state's military and economic weaknesses vis-a-vis Venezuela. It assesses the effectiveness of Burnham's vitriolic diplomacy 1966-1985 and the more subtle form during the Hoyte administration, 1985-1992. An examination of the foreign ministries' archives in London, Washington, Caracas and Port-of-Spain was conducted to gain insights into the interaction of the of the dispute's re-emergence and cold war concerns over Guyana. The measures taken by the USA, Britain, Brazil and Trinidad and Tobago to ensure that Venezuelan action did not affect Burnham's rule are revealed. Burnham's role in the signing of the 1966 Geneva Agreement is also explored.

While international arbitration offers the prominent scheme for resolution of transnational disputes, the arbitration community must constantly examine areas of concern. Any system of justice, including the arbitration system, is not meant for abuse. Thus, it would be paradoxical to support a mischief that the arbitration system seeks to obviate. This could cast doubts as to the system's efficiency and induce distrust in a system formed to accommodate parties' interests and uphold their common intentions. In recent years, international arbitration has been plagued by different forms of procedural abuse. Abusive practices developed by parties may undermine the fair resolution of disputes and frustrate the administration of arbitral justice. There are pre-existing tools and legal rules at the disposal of arbitrators that can be utilised to prevent abuse and administer arbitral justice. However, these tools are inherently rigid in their application. The thesis introduces the principle of abuse of rights in international arbitration and argues for its application as a general principle of law to prevent the transmogrification of international arbitration into a process profoundly tainted with abuse. The virtue and efficacy of a single theory with a wide scope of application and an overarching premise, is that it can be used to address different abusive behaviours, and equally enjoys the flexibility of general principles of law.

A jurisdição internacional expande-se com a criação, a partir da segunda metade do século XX, de um grande número de entes jurisdicionais internacionais. Tais entes são usualmente criados com especialização em determinado segmento do direito internacional, o que de certa forma fragmenta a unidade do direito internacional. Paralelamente, o incremento na freqüência de casos processados perante os diversos tribunais internacionais multiplica a ocorrência de hipóteses em que a atuação de uma das cortes interfere na atuação das demais. Ainda não se criaram regras capazes de minimizar esta sobreposição de atuações. No campo mais restrito das jurisdições afetas ao comércio internacional, o problema de certa forma se repete. Atuam nesta área, sobretudo, o sistema de solução de controvérsias da Organização Mundial do Comércio (OMC), os diversos sistemas de solução de controvérsias dos diversos acordos regionais de integração (como é o caso do MERCOSUL), além dos próprios judiciários nacionais. Há vários episódios em que decisões judiciais nacionais geraram repercussões em litígios regionais e em litígios perante o sistema de solução de controvérsias da OMC. O mesmo ocorre na via inversa, ou seja, também há casos em que as decisões proferidas na OMC e nos sistemas regionais interferem na esfera nacional. De qualquer sorte, em função da capacidade da OMC fixar os principais parâmetros que hoje pautam o comércio internacional, o relacionamento entre os três diferentes níveis jurisdicionais OMC, regional e nacional acaba apresentando-se, concretamente, mais hierarquizado quando comparado aos demais segmentos da jurisdição internacional. Os litígios acerca do regime brasileiro de importação de pneus usados e reformados são representativos dos dilemas hoje existentes no relacionamento entre os diversos níveis de jurisdição e o desfecho dos casos, até o presente momento, aponta uma certa tentativa de adequação, por parte do judiciário brasileiro, de suas decisões aos entendimentos e recomendações advindos das esferas internacionais. / The international jurisdiction expands with the creation, from the second half of the twentieth century, of a large number of international judicial entities. Such entities are usually designed with specialization in a particular segment of international law, that somehow breaks the its unity. In parallel, the increase in the frequency of cases prosecuted before the various tribunals multiplies the occurrence in which the performance of one of the courts interferes in the actions of others. There are not yet rules to minimize this overlap. In the more restricted field of jurisdictions concerned with international trade, the problem repeats itself somehow. The adjudication in this area is especially offered by the WTO dispute settlement system, the correlates regional systems of dispute settlement (such as MERCOSUR), and the national judiciaries. There are several episodes in which national judgments echoed in regional disputes and in disputes before the dispute settlement system of WTO. The same occurs in the reverse path, ie, there are also cases in which decisions taken in the WTO and in regional systems interfered in the national sphere. Anyhow, in the capacity of the WTO to set the main parameters that guided international trade today, the relationship between the three different jurisdictional levels - WTO, regional and national - just show up more hierarchical when compared to other segments of international jurisdiction. Disputes about the Brazilian import regime for used and retreaded tires are representative of the dilemmas that exist today in the relationship between different levels of jurisdiction and the outcome of cases to date, indicates a certain attempt of adaptation, by the Brazilian judiciary, of its decisions to the understandings and recommendations of international spheres.

The settlement of petroleum expropriation disputes has been a challenging issue in the petroleum industry since the earliest cases. The issue, principally, relates to foreign investors' right to investment protection and the sovereign right of states, the clash of which causes such disputes. Striking a balance between these conflicting rights in order to save the disputants' relationship is a critical concern given the interdependent relationship of disputants which manifests itself in a cyclical manner. This in turn highlights the importance of finding a suitable dispute resolution method to reach the most appropriate and balanced resolution from both parties' viewpoint. Impartiality is, in this context, a key element when determining the most suitable method for resolving expropriation disputes. This is so considering that the reason for the abandonment of diplomatic protection and litigation as methods for resolving expropriation disputes was concerns over their partiality towards one of the disputants. Currently, with the proliferation of investment treaties, treaty-based arbitration has become the most popular method for resolving such disputes. However, the suitability of treaty-based arbitration is criticised as a process which is likely to be partial in favour of investors and their investment protection rights. Such a partiality is likely to be found in treaty-based arbitration's origin, substance and procedural aspects. Therefore, it can be argued that there is room for mediation as an alternative dispute resolution method to be adopted and supplemented arbitration for settlement of petroleum expropriation disputes. In fact, mediation enjoys various qualities which makes it especially attractive for such disputes, including its time and cost efficiency, its ability to explore win-win settlement options and to save the disputing parties' relationship, and the flexibility and collaborative nature of the process. More importantly, its self-determination principle is a feature which guarantees the impartiality of mediation. However, mediation, like other dispute resolution methods, is not without its disadvantages. It faces challenges with regard to its voluntary and non-binding nature, confidentiality, its inability to deal with the political overtones of petroleum expropriation disputes, its retarding effect on jurisprudence development and disputants' lack of familiarity with the process. Nonetheless, having proposed some solutions to these shortcomings, this thesis concludes that mediation should be used and encouraged more systematically for resolving petroleum expropriation disputes.

No description available.

Thesis (LLM) --University of Limpopo, 2011

La dématérialisation des méthodes de traitement, de transmission et de conservation de l’information modifie substantiellement les rapports économiques et sociaux. Le domaine juridique n’aurait pu rester étranger à ce mouvement de fond. Le droit et la justice s’en trouvent bouleversés jusque dans leurs organisations, leurs méthodes et leurs métiers. L’adaptation du droit aux technologies numériques désormais acquise, les craintes et résistances liées à leur intégration dans le fonctionnement judiciaire surmontées ; la dématérialisation des actes du procès et leur communication électronique se généralisent. Une phase de maturation débute à présent, celle d’un retour au droit de la procédure civile et de l’appréciation que la jurisprudence fera de ces innovations technologiques. Il conviendra dès lors de veiller à ce que cette appropriation serve pleinement les intérêts des justiciables et de la justice. / Paperless methods of data production, process and records management has substantially changed both the economic and social relationships. Therefore, French law and justice could not have ignored these technological evolution which is deeply impacting their own organisation, methods, and professions. The necessary adaptation by French law and Justice to digital technologies now acquired, and concerns or fears on their integration into the civil litigation process being overcome ; dematerialisation of procedural acts and their communication in electronic forms are generally used. Regarding this technological reality, attention needs henceforth to be directed towards the role of each relevant actor of the French E-justice to make sure that such proceedings allow a fair trial to any litigant