Univ., Diss.--Köln, 2004. / Literaturverz. S. XXV - XXXVII.

Thesis (LLD (Mercantile Law))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: International sales contracts have very specific needs that stem from the multiplicity of legal systems which apply to such contracts. In addition to harmonised law, mercantile custom is able to address many of these needs. Mercantile custom represents usages which are clear, certain and efficient and are expected to be known and applied by merchants in a particular trade or region. To this extent mercantile custom fulfils an automatic harmonisation function. However, where a custom does not enjoy uniform application across all branches of trade, the harmonisation function of mercantile custom is limited, as is the case with trade terms. Trade terms reflect mercantile customs and usages which developed over a long time in order to simplify the trade in goods that are transported from one place to the other. They regulate the delivery obligations of the seller and buyer as well as associated obligations such as the passing of risk. Trade terms negate the need for elaborate contract clauses and appear in abbreviated form in contracts of sale. Although they provide a uniform expression of mercantile custom in a particular location or trade, the understanding of trade terms tend to differ from country to country, region to region or from one branch of trade to the next. The ICC INCOTERMS is an effort to standardise trade term definitions at the hand of the most consistent mercantile customs and practices. The aim of this study is to investigate the efficiency of INCOTERMS as a form of standardisation in international sales law. For purposes of the investigation the focus is limited to the passing of risk. Although national laws usually have a default risk regime in place, merchants still prefer to regulate risk by means of trade terms. This study will investigate the legal position in the case of FOB, CIF and DDU terms. An analysis of the risk regimes of a few selected national systems will show that each has their own understanding of these trade terms. The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG) does not refer to trade terms, but many commentators have concluded that the CISG risk rule is consistent with INCOTERMS. The study will discuss this in more detail. To determine the efficiency of INCOTERMS as a form of standardisation in international sales law, the study examines their characteristics, legal nature as well as their limited scope of regulation. Specific emphasis is placed on the interplay between the CISG and INCOTERMS and the possibility of some form of interaction and collaboration between the two instruments. It is concluded that collaboration between INCOTERMS and the CISG adds value to the international law of sales by increasing the efficiency of an international business transaction and thereby facilitating international trade. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Internasionale koopkontrakte het spesifieke behoeftes wat voortspruit uit die veelvoudigheid van regstelsels van toepassing op so ‘n kontrak. Baie van hierdie behoeftes kan aangespreek word deur geharmoniseerde regsreëls in samehang met handelsgewoontes en –gebruike. Handelsgewoontes verteenwoordig duidelike, seker en effektiewe gebruike. Daar word dus van handelaars wat in ‘n bepaalde bedryf of streek handel dryf, verwag om van hierdie gebruike kennis te neem en hulle toe te pas. In hierdie konteks vervul handelsgebruike ‘n outomatiese harmoniseringsfunksie. Waar ‘n gebruik nie eenvormig toegepas word oor alle bedrywe heen nie, is die harmoniseringsfunksie van handelsgebruike egter beperk. Handelsterme bied ‘n tipiese voorbeeld hiervan. Handelsterme verteenwoordig bepaalde handelsgewoontes en –gebruike wat oor ‘n geruime tyd ontwikkel het ten einde handel in goedere wat van een plek na die ander vervoer word, te vergemaklik. Hulle reguleer die leweringsverpligtinge van die verkoper en koper asook ander verpligtinge wat met lewering verband hou, soos byvoorbeeld die oorgang van risiko. Handelsterme doen weg met lang en omslagtige kontraksbedinge aangesien hulle in die vorm van afkortings in die kontrak figureer. Alhoewel handelsterme ‘n uniforme uitdrukking van gebruike in ‘n bepaalde gebied of bedryf verteenwoordig, is dit egter so dat die inhoud van handelsterme van land tot land, streek tot streek of van een tipe bedryf tot die ander verskil. INCOTERMS is ‘n poging om die inhoud van handelsterme te standaardiseer aan die hand van die mees eenvormige handelsgewoontes en –gebruike. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die effektiwiteit van INCOTERMS as ‘n vorm van standaardisering in die internasionale koopreg te ondersoek. Vir doeleindes van die ondersoek word die fokus beperk tot die oorgang van risiko. Al het nasionale regstelsels gewoonlik ‘n verstek risiko-reël in plek, verkies handelaars steeds om risiko by wyse van handelsterme te reguleer. Die studie ondersoek die regsposisie in die geval van FOB-, CIF-, en DDU-terme. ‘n Analise van risiko-regulering in ‘n aantal nasionale sisteme toon dat elk hul eie betekenis heg aan die inhoud van hierdie terme. Alhoewel die Weense Koopkonvensie geensins na handelsterme verwys nie, voer verskeie kommentatore aan dat die Konvensie se risiko-bestel verenigbaar is met dié van INCOTERMS en sal hierdie aspek gevolglik in meer besonderhede in die studie aangespreek word. Ten einde die effektiwiteit van INCOTERMS te bepaal, word daar ondersoek ingestel na hulle kenmerke, regsaard en beperkte aanwendingsgebied. Spesiale klem word gelê op die wisselwerking tussen die Weense Koopkonvensie en INCOTERMS asook die moontlikheid van interaksie en samewerking tussen die twee instrumente. Die gevolgtrekking is dat interaksie tussen die Koopkonvensie en INCOTERMS waarde toevoeg tot die internasionale koopreg deur die effektiwiteit van die internasionale besigheidstransaksie te verhoog en gevolglik internasionale handel te bevorder. / Harry Crossley Fund / NRF Thuthuka Fund

In this thesis the position of parties under a fixed-term agreement under section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 is analysed critically. The purpose of this thesis is first to establish whether parties to a fixed-term agreement are better protected in terms of section 14 of the CPA when the consumer needs to terminate the contract based on the material failure to perform by the supplier, than under the common law. Second, this thesis explores whether the maximum duration of fixed-term agreements should be limited by statute. Various aspects affecting parties to these agreements, for instance the freedom to contract, pacta servanda sunt, and standard-form agreements, are considered. The South African position is then compared to the position in Singapore under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act, and to the United Kingdom under the Consumer Rights Act, to gain perspective and objectively evaluate the provisions of section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 to establish whether South Africa can benefit from lessons learnt from these jurisdictions. Finally, principle-based amendments to the provisions of the CPA are recommended to improve the position of the consumer under fixed-term agreements to effect best practice solutions and ensure adherence to the aims and purposes of the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 and international guidelines. This thesis is based on the law as at 18 June 2020, found in sources available in South Africa, and Singaporean law available in the database of the National University of Singapore. / Hierdie proefskrif is ’n kritiese analise van die posisie van partye tot vastetermynkontrakte ingevolge artikel 14 van die Suid-Afrikaanse verbruikersbeskermingswetgewing, die Consumer Protection Act 68 van 2008 (CPA). Die doel van die analise is eerstens om vas te stel of partye tot ’n vastetermynkontrak ingevolge artikel 14 van die CPA beter beskerming geniet ingevolge die CPA wanneer die verbruiker die vastetermynkontrak moet beëindig weens die wesenlike wanprestasie deur die verskaffer, as ingevolge die gemenereg. Tweedens ondersoek die proefskrif of dit wenslik is dat die maksimum duur van vastetermynkontrakte deur wetgewing beperk word. Verskeie aspekte wat die posisie van partye tot vastetermynkontrakte beïnvloed word ondersoek, onder andere kontrakteervryheid, die leerstuk pacta servanda sunt en standaardkontrakte. Die Suid-Afrikaanse posisie word dan vergelyk met dié in Singapoer, ingevolge die Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act (CPFTA), en die Verenigde Koninkryk, ingevolge die Consumer Rights Act (CRA) om perspektief te kry op die studie, en ten einde die bepalings van artikel 14 objektief te oorweeg om vas te stel of Suid-Afrika kan kersopsteek by hierdie jurisdiksies. Laastens word voorstelle gemaak om die posisie van die verbruiker tot vastetermynkontrakte ingevolge die CPA te verbeter om beste gebruikspraktyke te implementeer, en te verseker dat die doelwitte van die CPA en internasionale verbruikersriglyne bereik word. Hierdie studie weerspieël die regsposisie soos op 18 Junie 2020 in bronne wat plaaslik beskikbaar is, asook in bronne aan my beskikbaar gestel deur die Nasionale Universiteit van Singapoer tydens ’n navorsingsbesoek daar. / Kule thesisi isimo sezinhlangano ezingaphansi kwesivumelwano sesikhathi esinqunyiwe, ngaphansi kwesigaba 14 koMthetho 68 ka 2008, uMthetho weZokuvikelwa koMthengi uhlaziywa ngendlela egxekayo. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo ukusungula ukuthi mhlawumbe lezi zinhlangano ezingaphansi kwesivumelwano sesikhathi esinqunyiwe sivikeleke kangcono ngaphansi kwesigaba 14 se-CPA uma kunesidingo sabathengi sokuqedwa kwesivumelwano esencike phezu kokwehluleka ukwenza umsebenzi waloyo ongumthumeli wempahla, okwehlukile emthethweni owejwayelekile. Okwesibili, le thesis iphenya ukuthi mhlawumbe isikhathi isikhathi esinde sesivumelwano sesikhathi esinqunyiwe kufanele sincishiswe ngokomthetho oshayiwe. Izinto ezahlukahlukene ezithinta lezi zivumelwano, njengesibonelo, inkululeko yokungena esivumelwaneni pacta servanda sunt, kanye nesivumelwano ezingaguquki, kuyizinto ezibhekwayo. Isimo seNingizimu Afrika siqhathaniswa nesimo sezwe laseSingapore ngaphansi koMthetho wezokuVikelwa kwabaThengi (Fair Trading), kanye nasezweni laseUnited Kingdom ngaphansi koMthetho owaMalungelo abaThengi, ukuthola umqondo kanye nokuhlola izimiso ngaphansi kwesigaba 14 soMthetho 68 ka 2008, uMthetho oVikela abaThengi ukuthola ukuthi ngabe iNingizimu Afrika kukhona ekuzuzile kwizifundo ezifundwe kulezi zakhiwo zemithetho. Okokugcina, izichibiyelo ezisuselwe kwimigomo mayelana nalokho okushiwo yi-CPA inconywe ukuthi yenze ngcono isimo sezinhlangano ezingaphansi kwezivumelwano zesikhathi esinqunyiwe ukuletha izisombululo ezingcono kanye nokuqinisekisa ukuthi kulandelwa izinhloso kanye nemisebenzi yoMthetho 68 ka 2008, okunguMthetho oVikela abaThengi kanye nemihlahlandlela yezizwe zomhlaba. Lolu cwaningo lususelwe phezu komthetho kusukela mhla zi 18 uNhlangulana 2020, luyatholakala emithonjeni yaseNingizimu Afrika, kanye nomthetho waseSingapore uyatholakala emthonjeni yedatha yaseNational University of Singapore. / Mercantile Law / LL. D.

The thesis analyses the concept ‘fairness’ in consumer contracts regulated by the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, mainly from the perspective of a freedom and fairness orientation. It discusses the evolution of ‘fairness’ as background to a more detailed discussion of the classification of fairness into substantive and procedural fairness. The thesis examines dimensions of fairness, factors which play a role in the determination of fairness, and fairness- oriented approaches in an attempt to formulate a framework for fairness in consumer contracts. The main aspects that should be taken into account to justify a finding of fairness, or to determine whether a contract is fair, are identified. This analysis addresses, too, the extent to which the fairness provisions of the Consumer Protection Act are appropriate (with reference to the law of South Africa, Europe, and England). / Mercantile Law / LL.D.

The thesis analyses the concept ‘fairness’ in consumer contracts regulated by the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008, mainly from the perspective of a freedom and fairness orientation. It discusses the evolution of ‘fairness’ as background to a more detailed discussion of the classification of fairness into substantive and procedural fairness. The thesis examines dimensions of fairness, factors which play a role in the determination of fairness, and fairness- oriented approaches in an attempt to formulate a framework for fairness in consumer contracts. The main aspects that should be taken into account to justify a finding of fairness, or to determine whether a contract is fair, are identified. This analysis addresses, too, the extent to which the fairness provisions of the Consumer Protection Act are appropriate (with reference to the law of South Africa, Europe, and England). / Mercantile Law / LL.D.