An increase in international trade has resulted in an increase in the carriage of goods by sea, which has also promoted the business of marine insurance on a very huge scale. Marine insurance contracts fall within both the admiralty jurisdiction where admiralty laws apply and special contract law where the rules and principles of contract law apply. In certain circumstance this has left the courts with a dilemma in deciding in particular cases which law should apply; whether maritime law, contract law or marine insurance law. There are certain principles under the law of contract that are said to be profound and cannot be ousted easily by substantive law. The principle of party autonomy is one of these principles and it has gained international recognition through a number of cases. However, to date, courts are faced with difficulties in deciding whether to uphold the choice of law on jurisdiction and governing law exercised by parties or resort to substantive law, either by virtue of admiralty law or any other statutes in a country, which provisions may be contrary to the clause on choice of law under the contract. In South Africa practice has shown that courts are always reluctant to apply the clause on choice of law if they believe such application is against the public policy and interest in South Africa. This begs the question as to the precise meaning and effect of “public policy and interest” and how this principle influences the long-standing and well-established principle of party autonomy in admiralty jurisdiction. This dissertation is aimed at providing a legal response to this problem by analysing case law and the different viewpoints of various writers. It is imperative to investigate if their decisions and views answer all the uncertainties with regard to the meaning and the effect of the concept of “public policy and interest” on the principle of party autonomy. / LLM (Import and Export Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

An increase in international trade has resulted in an increase in the carriage of goods by sea, which has also promoted the business of marine insurance on a very huge scale. Marine insurance contracts fall within both the admiralty jurisdiction where admiralty laws apply and special contract law where the rules and principles of contract law apply. In certain circumstance this has left the courts with a dilemma in deciding in particular cases which law should apply; whether maritime law, contract law or marine insurance law. There are certain principles under the law of contract that are said to be profound and cannot be ousted easily by substantive law. The principle of party autonomy is one of these principles and it has gained international recognition through a number of cases. However, to date, courts are faced with difficulties in deciding whether to uphold the choice of law on jurisdiction and governing law exercised by parties or resort to substantive law, either by virtue of admiralty law or any other statutes in a country, which provisions may be contrary to the clause on choice of law under the contract. In South Africa practice has shown that courts are always reluctant to apply the clause on choice of law if they believe such application is against the public policy and interest in South Africa. This begs the question as to the precise meaning and effect of “public policy and interest” and how this principle influences the long-standing and well-established principle of party autonomy in admiralty jurisdiction. This dissertation is aimed at providing a legal response to this problem by analysing case law and the different viewpoints of various writers. It is imperative to investigate if their decisions and views answer all the uncertainties with regard to the meaning and the effect of the concept of “public policy and interest” on the principle of party autonomy. / LLM (Import and Export Law), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The work’s development is made by scientific method stages: aims statement, hypothesis establishment and work method to check hypothesis. Conclusions are given at the end. It is supported by: a) Bibliographical review, summary about knowledge evolution in work bridges building and associated historical facts. b) To know about used materials. c) Referred geographical and historical frameworks definition. d) The morphological knowledge about medieval work bridges. The work presents 111 unpublished plans. Research is divided up in nine stages. The first stage starts with the previous researching on the census of work bridges in the basins of the three most important northeaster slope Peninsula Iberian rivers that were built according to tradition in medieval period. Being censed 153 bridges we have chosen a representative sample of 20 bridges: 10 for Ter River, 7 for Fluvià River and 3 for Muga River. In second stage are highlighted: a) Field works to find, photograph and measure bridges. b) Works in Record Offices and Public Libraries to find technical and historical information. In this stage are included works made in Record Offices of General Administration, History of Councils, Culture and Environmental Departments of Generalitat of Catalunya, private organizations as soon as interviews to people related to significant historical facts about the research topic. c) Works made in Universities Libraries and CICCP nets. Taking in account the whole information coming from the field works, it has been made, in the third stage, three format A3 plans for every one of 20 bridges. They are referred to measurements, parameters composition and focusing angles joining 6 bridge pictures. In fourth stage we analyse structural elements, we classify every vault according Sejourné viewpoints stated in his work “Grandes voûtes” (1913) and other aspects helped by engineering parameters. Twelve ancient empiric rules to size bridge measures are taken in account and is tried to identify their influence in bridges design. In fifth stage software ARCs is used to settle bridge stability in base the pressure lines for every arch. The result allows knowing axial thrusts and eccentricities to hold up the pressure lines in the right values. Simulations are made with the own structure weight under punctual loads of 360KN at ½ and ¼ gap. Structure safety coefficients are settled according punctual load to road wideness and loads carried by available transport means in this past period. Analytical study is made to calculate vertical and axial thrusts to determine specific load on pillar’s foundation. Results got by both ways are compared. Results are shown on two plans for every bridge. Hypothesis about possible layouts or sittings of four bridges that could have originally been built are shown in sixth stage. Photographs and plans are joined. In seventh stage every bridge description is connected with the territory and river zone characteristics. Driving slope for seven hundred length upriver and downriver for every bridge are worked out. Bridge filling percentage for several depth of water is assessed. With this information and those that are collected from river agents and the sings of levels reached in historical floods, the possible flooded ground zone is assessed. Relationship between the basin surface, average upriver rain gauged and bridge drainage surface is established. This information is related to the flooded zones before mentioned. The consequential hydraulic effects are shown in a plan. Eighth stage. Three family groups are made among the studied bridges and those which have been built in Spain and France. The main constructive characteristics and their evolution through years are analysed. Ninth stage. Relevant historical facts referred to the bridge are synthesized. / El trabajo se desarrolla basándose en las etapas del método científico: enunciado de los objetivos, planeamiento de hipótesis, método de trabajo llevado a termino para el contrates de las hipótesis y conclusiones a las que se llegan. Se apoya en: a) En la revisión bibliográfica sobre la evolución del estado del conocimiento de la construcción de los puentes de obra de fábrica y en los hechos históricos asociados a los puentes estudiados. b) En el conocimiento de los materiales empleados. c) En la definición de los marcos geográficos e históricos de referencia con el trabajo. d) En la morfológica de los puente de obra de fabrica de le época Medieval. El trabajo aporta 111 planos inéditos. La investigación la dividimos en nueve fases. Primera fase: Preinvestigación sobre censo de puentes de obra de fábrica en las cuencas de los tres ríos más importantes de la vertiente nororiental de la península ibérica que según la tradición popular datan de la época medieval. De153 censados, elegimos una muestra representativa de 20 puentes: 10 en la cuenca del río Ter, siete en la del río Fluviá y tres en la del río Muga. Segunda fase: a) Trabajos de campo: localizar los puentes, fotografiarlos y medirlos. b) Trabajos en archivos y bibliotecas. El alcance de esta fase engloba los realizados en los archivos: General de la Administración, históricos de Ayuntamientos, Diputaciones, Departamentos de Cultura y Medio Ambiente de la Generalitat de Cataluña, Red de Bibliotecas de Universidades, en la del CICCP, entidades privadas, c) Entrevistas. Tercera fase: Partiendo de la información recopilada en los trabajos de campo, realizamos tres planos en formato A3 para cada de los 20 puentes a estudiar: el de medidas, el de composición de los paramentos y el de ángulos de enfoque con 6 fotografías del puente. Cuarta fase: Análisis de los elementos estructurales de los puentes. Clasificación de bóvedas según Séjourné en su obra “grandes voûtes”(1913) y otras de carácter ingenieril. Se desarrollan 12 reglas empíricas empleadas para dimensionar puentes con las que se intenta identificar su influencia en el diseño de los puentes estudiados. Quinta fase: Se utiliza el programa ARCs, se estudia estabilidad del puente partiendo de la localización de la línea de empuje Los resultados permiten conocer los empujes axiales y las excentricidades que mantienen la línea de empujes dentro de los márgenes adecuados. Se simulan resultados para el peso propio de la estructura y también para cargas puntuales de 360KN a ½ y ¼ del vano. Se determinan los coeficientes de seguridad adaptando la carga puntual a valores adecuados a la amplitud de la calzada y a las cargas a transportar. Se complementa el cálculo de los empujes verticales y axiales para conocer el valor de la carga específica sobre los cimientos de cada pila. Se comparan los resultados por ambos métodos. Los resultados se exponen de dos planos por puente. Sexta fase: Planteamiento sobre planos y/o fotografías de hipótesis sobre los trazados y/o localizaciones que podrían haber tenido originalmente cuatro de los puentes. Séptima fase: Relaciones entre río y puente. Calculo de la pendiente motriz para los diferentes tramos de ríos y de porcentaje de obturación que presenta el puente para diferentes niveles de calado. Estimación de la zona inundable. Relaciones entre las superficies de las cuencas y las de desagüe del puente. En un plano se engloban los resultados de estos efectos hidráulicos. Octava fase: formamos tres familias de puentes según la zona geográfica donde se localiza: Francia, España y los estudiados. Analizamos las variaciones entre las principales relaciones constructivas, las tendencias de su evolucionado a lo largo de los años. Novena fase: Se citan los hechos históricos asociados a la existencia del puente.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar a relação entre história, literatura e construção permanente da identidade a partir do corpus literário escolhido - Vinte e Zinco do moçambicano Mia Couto, Dona Pura e os Camaradas de Abril do cabo-verdiano Germano Almeida, e Vale a Pena Ter Esperança do português Carlos Brito, que fazem parte da Coleção Caminhos de Abril do Editorial Caminho, que comemorou o vigésimo quinto aniversário do fim do Estado Novo português. A Revolução dos Cravos pôs fim ao regime salazarista, que oprimiu portugueses e africanos por quase meio século e que deixou suas marcas até a atualidade, interferindo na constituição da identidade cultural dos sujeitos envolvidos neste processo. Essa análise enfatiza a interação, por muitas vezes conflituosa, entre culturas tão diversas como a portuguesa e a africana, recorrendo a Homi Bhabha (1998), Stuart Hall (2003) e Edward Said (1995). Para compreendermos as particularidades do imperialismo português, utilizamos Margarida Calafate Ribeiro (2003), Boaventura de Sousa Santos (1999) e Eduardo Lourenço (1978, 1994 e 1999). / El presente trabajo analiza la relación entre historia, literatura y construcción permanente de la identidad, partiendo del corpus literario elegido - Vinte e Zinco del mozambicano Mia Couto, Dona Pura e os Camaradas de Abril del cabo verdiano Germano Almeida y Vale a Pena Ter Esperança del portugués Carlos Brito, las cuáles forman parte da Coleção Caminhos de Abril del Editorial Caminho, la cuál conmemora el vigésimo quinto cumpleaños del fin del Estado Novo portugués. La Revolución de los Claveles terminó con el régimen salazarista, que oprimió portugueses y africanos por casi medio siglo, y que dejó sus marcas hasta la actualidad, interfiriendo en la constitución de la identidad cultural de los sujetos envueltos en este proceso. Este análisis enfatiza la interacción por muchas veces conflictiva entre culturas tan diversas como son la portuguesa y la africana, recurriendo a Homi Bhabha (1998), Stuart Hall (2003) y Edward Said (1995). Para comprender las particularidades del imperialismo portugués utilizamos Margarida Calafate Ribeiro (1993) , Boaventura de Sousa Santos (1999) y Eduardo Lourenço (1978, 1994 e 1999).

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar a relação entre história, literatura e construção permanente da identidade a partir do corpus literário escolhido - Vinte e Zinco do moçambicano Mia Couto, Dona Pura e os Camaradas de Abril do cabo-verdiano Germano Almeida, e Vale a Pena Ter Esperança do português Carlos Brito, que fazem parte da Coleção Caminhos de Abril do Editorial Caminho, que comemorou o vigésimo quinto aniversário do fim do Estado Novo português. A Revolução dos Cravos pôs fim ao regime salazarista, que oprimiu portugueses e africanos por quase meio século e que deixou suas marcas até a atualidade, interferindo na constituição da identidade cultural dos sujeitos envolvidos neste processo. Essa análise enfatiza a interação, por muitas vezes conflituosa, entre culturas tão diversas como a portuguesa e a africana, recorrendo a Homi Bhabha (1998), Stuart Hall (2003) e Edward Said (1995). Para compreendermos as particularidades do imperialismo português, utilizamos Margarida Calafate Ribeiro (2003), Boaventura de Sousa Santos (1999) e Eduardo Lourenço (1978, 1994 e 1999). / El presente trabajo analiza la relación entre historia, literatura y construcción permanente de la identidad, partiendo del corpus literario elegido - Vinte e Zinco del mozambicano Mia Couto, Dona Pura e os Camaradas de Abril del cabo verdiano Germano Almeida y Vale a Pena Ter Esperança del portugués Carlos Brito, las cuáles forman parte da Coleção Caminhos de Abril del Editorial Caminho, la cuál conmemora el vigésimo quinto cumpleaños del fin del Estado Novo portugués. La Revolución de los Claveles terminó con el régimen salazarista, que oprimió portugueses y africanos por casi medio siglo, y que dejó sus marcas hasta la actualidad, interfiriendo en la constitución de la identidad cultural de los sujetos envueltos en este proceso. Este análisis enfatiza la interacción por muchas veces conflictiva entre culturas tan diversas como son la portuguesa y la africana, recurriendo a Homi Bhabha (1998), Stuart Hall (2003) y Edward Said (1995). Para comprender las particularidades del imperialismo portugués utilizamos Margarida Calafate Ribeiro (1993) , Boaventura de Sousa Santos (1999) y Eduardo Lourenço (1978, 1994 e 1999).

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar a relação entre história, literatura e construção permanente da identidade a partir do corpus literário escolhido - Vinte e Zinco do moçambicano Mia Couto, Dona Pura e os Camaradas de Abril do cabo-verdiano Germano Almeida, e Vale a Pena Ter Esperança do português Carlos Brito, que fazem parte da Coleção Caminhos de Abril do Editorial Caminho, que comemorou o vigésimo quinto aniversário do fim do Estado Novo português. A Revolução dos Cravos pôs fim ao regime salazarista, que oprimiu portugueses e africanos por quase meio século e que deixou suas marcas até a atualidade, interferindo na constituição da identidade cultural dos sujeitos envolvidos neste processo. Essa análise enfatiza a interação, por muitas vezes conflituosa, entre culturas tão diversas como a portuguesa e a africana, recorrendo a Homi Bhabha (1998), Stuart Hall (2003) e Edward Said (1995). Para compreendermos as particularidades do imperialismo português, utilizamos Margarida Calafate Ribeiro (2003), Boaventura de Sousa Santos (1999) e Eduardo Lourenço (1978, 1994 e 1999). / El presente trabajo analiza la relación entre historia, literatura y construcción permanente de la identidad, partiendo del corpus literario elegido - Vinte e Zinco del mozambicano Mia Couto, Dona Pura e os Camaradas de Abril del cabo verdiano Germano Almeida y Vale a Pena Ter Esperança del portugués Carlos Brito, las cuáles forman parte da Coleção Caminhos de Abril del Editorial Caminho, la cuál conmemora el vigésimo quinto cumpleaños del fin del Estado Novo portugués. La Revolución de los Claveles terminó con el régimen salazarista, que oprimió portugueses y africanos por casi medio siglo, y que dejó sus marcas hasta la actualidad, interfiriendo en la constitución de la identidad cultural de los sujetos envueltos en este proceso. Este análisis enfatiza la interacción por muchas veces conflictiva entre culturas tan diversas como son la portuguesa y la africana, recurriendo a Homi Bhabha (1998), Stuart Hall (2003) y Edward Said (1995). Para comprender las particularidades del imperialismo portugués utilizamos Margarida Calafate Ribeiro (1993) , Boaventura de Sousa Santos (1999) y Eduardo Lourenço (1978, 1994 e 1999).