Bibliographie sélective OHADA

Recently, South African company law underwent a dramatic overhaul through the introduction of the Companies Act 71 of 2008. Central to company law is the promotion of corporate governance: companies no longer are accountable to their shareholders only but to society at large. Leaders should direct company strategy and operations with a view to achieving the triple bottom-line (economic, social and environmental performance) and, thus, should manage the business in a sustainable manner. An important question in company law today: In whose interest should the company be managed? Corporate governance needs to address the entire span of responsibilities to all stakeholders of the company, such as customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers and the community at large. The Companies Act aims to balance the rights and obligations of shareholders and directors within companies and encourages the efficient and responsible management of companies. The promotion of human rights is central in the application of company law: it is extremely important given the significant role of enterprises within the social and economic life of the nation. The interests of various stakeholder groups in the context of the corporation as a “social institution” should be enhanced and protected. Because corporations are a part of society and the community they are required to be socially responsible and to be more accountable to all stakeholders in the company. Although directors act in the best interests of shareholders, collectively, they must also consider the interests of other stakeholders. Sustainable relationships with all the relevant stakeholders are important. The advancement of social justice is important to corporations in that they should take into account the Constitution, labour and company law legislation in dealing with social justice issues. Employees have become important stakeholders in companies and their needs should be taken into account in a bigger corporate governance and social responsibility framework. Consideration of the role of employees in corporations entails notice that the Constitution grants every person a fundamental right to fair labour practices. Social as well as political change became evident after South Africa's re-entry into the world in the 1990s. Change to socio-economic conditions in a developing country is also evident. These changes have a major influence on South African labour law. Like company law, labour law, to a large extent, is codified. Like company law, no precise definition of labour law exists. From the various definitions, labour law covers both the individual and collective labour law and various role-players are involved. These role-players include trade unions, employers/companies, employees, and the state. The various relationships between these parties, ultimately, are what guides a certain outcome if there is a power play between them. In 1995 the South African labour market was transformed by the introduction of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995. The LRA remains the primary piece of labour legislation that governs labour law in South Africa. The notion of industrial democracy and the transformation of the workplace are central issues in South African labour law. The constitutional change that have taken place in South Africa, by which the protection of human rights and the democratisation of the workplace are advanced contributed to these developments. Before the enactment of the LRA, employee participation and voice were much-debated topics, locally and internationally. In considering employee participation, it is essential to take due cognisance of both the labour and company law principles that are pertinent: the need for workers to have a voice in the workplace and for employers to manage their corporations. Employee participation and voice should be evident at different levels: from information-sharing to consultation to joint decision-making. Corporations should enhance systems and processes that facilitate employee participation and voice in decisions that affect employees. The primary research question under investigation is: What role should (and could) employees play in corporate decision-making in South Africa? The main inquiry of the thesis, therefore, is to explore the issue of granting a voice to employees in companies, in particular, the role of employees in the decision-making processes of companies. The thesis explores various options, including supervisory co-determination as well as social co-determination, in order to find solutions that will facilitate the achievement of employee participation and voice in companies in South Africa.

Without a precise definition either legally or on the judicial basis, public company owes its name through the participation of public power in its capital. Also, one has to make it clear that the concept of public power is not itself very clear. It is estimated that the state which became a shareholder and guarantor of social interest. The public company is regarded as the one which belongs wholly to the state and at the same time enjoying autonomy, cannot have its "survival" thanks to a law adapted to its nature and a good organization bodies that comprise it. Thus, it can only work function if the tasks to be performed by the corporate bodies are distributed accurately and if the roles in the public company are clearly defined by law. OHADA legislators did not hesitate to submit to the public company the Uniform Act related to commercial enterprises (AUSC) and Economical interest groups (GIE). But public behind it is, ever so slightly, an obstacle to its strict submission of AUSC and Economical interest group. Hence, a necessary approximation of national and community by coordinating legal systems. This implies interdependence between the provisions of the Uniform Act related to commercial enterprises and the Economical interest groups and those from national laws. The two national legal systems remain autonomous and do not influence each other. The results are in OHADA space textual duality to meet the demands of commercial enterprise, with the base and mark of the Uniform Act related to commercial enterprises and the Economical interest group; national texts playing a complementary and subsidiary role.

Anonim şirkette geçerli temel ilkelerden birisi, pay devrinin serbestliği ilkesidir. Anonim şirkette üyeliği temsil eden paylar, serbestçe devredilebilir ve miras yoluyla geçişe konu olabilir. Yeni dönemde, İsviçre Hukuku'nu takip eden TTK, pay devri sınırlamalarını "borsaya kote edilmiş" ve "borsaya kote edilmemiş" paylar üzerinden kurgulamıştır. Borsaya kote edilmemiş paylarda bağlam, gerçek bir devir sınırlamasıdır ve şirket devre onay vermeden, işlem geçerlilik kazanamaz. Ayrıca onay olmadan, payı devralan müktesibe, hiçbir hak geçmez. Kanun şirkete üç red nedeni vermiştir. Birincisi, şirket sözleşmesine yazılacak "önemli nedenler," ikincisi esas sözleşmede bir devir sınırlaması iradesi olmak kaydıyla, uluslararası literatürde "kaçınma klozu" olarak geçen "Escape-Clause" ve inançlı iktisaba karşı korunmadır. Borsaya kote edilmiş paylarda ise TTK ve SPKn. devrededir. TTK'da, borsaya kote edilmiş paylarda sadece "yüzdelik sınırlama"ya izin verilmekte ve payın geçişi ile birlikte (borsa dışı iktisapta bildirim), katılım hakları hariç, diğer haklar müktesibe intikal etmektedir. Bu paylar, yasal yolla intikal ettiğinde ise (miras, miras paylaşımı, cebri icra veya eşler arası mal rejimleri hükümleri), şirket müktesibi tanımak zorunda kalmaktadır. Buna karşılık, SPKn.'nın 137/3. maddesi gereğince şirket, borsada gerçekleşen işlemler sonucu payı edinen kişiyi, pay defterine kayıttan kaçınamaz. Bu tercih tartışmalar getirebilecektir. Özellikle borsa şirketlerinin kendini bağlamla koruyamayacak olmaları ile borsanın yapısına uygun olarak "mutlak devredilebilirlik" arasındaki çatışmanın sonuçlarını ilerleyen yıllar gösterecektir. Bağlam, anonim şirket düzeni ile temelde çatışan bir kurumdur. Ancak şirketin yabancılaşmaya karşı veya kendine özgü niteliklerinin korunması bakımından yararlıdır. Ancak bağlamın yasadaki düzenleniş şekli, devrin fiilen (de facto) engellenmesi şekline bürünmemelidir. Buna rağmen şirket düzeni ile temelde çelişki yaratan bir kurum olan "bağlam" ile ilgili tartışmalar, hiçbir zaman bitmeyecektir. One of the main respected principles in stock companies is the principle of transferability of shares. Shares representing membership in a stock corporation shall be freely transferred and inheritted. According to this principle each shareholder may depart from the stock company by transferring his/her share/shares principally whenever he wants. The Turkish Commercial Code based on Swiss Law regulated restriction of transferability as "Listed registered shares" and "Not listed registered shares". Restriction on transferability in "Not listed registered shares" is an exact restriction. Because where the consent required for transfer of shares is not given, the ownership of the shares and all attendant rights remain with the alienator (Turkish Commercial Code, Art. 494/1). Listed registered shares are regulated in both The Turkish Commercial Code and the Capital Market Law. In the case of listed registered shares, the company may refuse to accept the acquier as a shareholder only where the articles of association envisage a percentage limit on the registered shares for which an acquirer must be recognised as shareholder and such a limit is exceeded. But according to the art. 137/3 of Capital Market Law a stock corporation can not refrain from registering a shareholder who acquired listed registered shares to share register. Especially is protection of a stock corporation itself against hostile take-over by means of "restrictions on transferibility" important or absolute transferibility which is appropriate for the structure of stock-exchange? The results of the art. 137/3 of Capital Market Law will occur in the future.

Sermayenin yönetim kurulu kararıyla artırılması esasına dayanan kayıtlı sermaye sistemi, daha hızlı ve daha az masrafla ortaklığın sermayesinin artırılmasını amaçlar. 2499 sa. SerPK' den bu yana halka açık anonim ortaklıklara özgü bir kurum olarak Türk hukukunda uygulanmakta olan sistem, TTK ile birlikte halka açık olmayan anonim ortaklıklar için de uygulanabilir hale gelmiştir. Aynı esaslara dayandığı ve aynı amaca hizmet ettiği için kurumun, TTK ve SerPK' de ayrı ayrı düzenlenmesine lüzum yoktur. Sistem, yönetim kurulunun usulüne uygun olarak sermayenin artırılması konusunda yetkilendirilmesi suretiyle ortaklık açısından uygulanabilir hale gelir. Yetkilendirme işlemleri esas sözleşme değişikliğini gerektirir. Yönetim kurulunun sermayeyi artırma yetkisi, esas sözleşmede gösterilen kayıtlı sermaye ve yetki süresiyle sınırlıdır. Bu sınırlara ulaşılmışsa ve esas sözleşmeyle yeni yetki sınırları tespit edilmemişse, yönetim kurulu sermaye artırım kararı alamaz. Öte yandan, bu yetkilendirmede yönetim kuruluna, sermaye artırım yetkisi yanında sermayenin artırılmasıyla bağlantılı olup kanunda izin verilen konularda da yetki tanınabilir. TTK ve SerPK' deki ilgili hükümler incelendiğinde, kayıtlı sermaye sisteminde sermaye artırım kararının, esas sermaye sisteminde olduğu gibi, esas sözleşme değişikliği olarak kabul edildiği görülmektedir. Bu düzenlemeler, sadece genel kurulun toplanıp karar alması işlemleri için gerekli olan zamandan ve masraftan tasarruf edilmesini sağlar. Kayıtlı sermaye sisteminin daha etkin bir kurum olarak kullanılması, esas sözleşme değişikliğine ilişkin işlemlerin de bertaraf edilmesini gerekli kılar. Anahtar Kelimeler: Sermaye, Kayıtlı Sermaye, Sermaye Artırımı, Yönetim Kurulu, Anonim Ortaklık. The registered capital system is based on increasing the capital with decision of board aims to increase the company's capital faster and less costly. System that is applied in Turkish Law as an institution special to public companies since CMC no: 2499, becomes applicable for non-public companies with TCC. As based on the same principles and serves the same purpose, there is no need to regulate the institution in TCC and CMC separately. System becomes applicable in terms of company, by duly authorization the board concerning capital increase. Authorization procedures require amendment of company's article. Authority of capital increase of board is limited with the registered capital and authority period that are shown in company's article. When it reached this limits and determined any new authority limits with the company's article, board can not take a decision on capital increase. On the other hand, in this authorization, board also can be authorized on the issues that are in connection with capital increase and permitted by act, in addition to the capital increase authority. When analyzed the related provisions in TCC and CMC, it is seen that the capital increase in registered capital system, as in ordinary capital system, is accepted as company's article amendment. These regulations provide to save only from time and cost that are required for procedures to take decision of general assembly. Using the registered capital system as more effective institution requires to eliminate the procedures related to amendment of company's article. Keywords: Capital, Registered Capital, Capital Increase, Board of Directors, Joint Stock Corporation.

This thesis aims to provide an analytical framework to which investor-State arbitral tribunals can refer in cases where international trade law is invoked. The starting point of the present study is the trend in commentary on international trade and investment law, which makes the argument that international trade and investment law should be reconciled due to the clear "convergence" between (some of) their constitutive elements. This convergence argument is not misguided: there are similarities between the underlying principles of global trade and investment and, as such, a better coordination of these principles would be helpful for several reasons. Such reasons include legal certainty, reduction of transaction costs, better coherence in the operation of international agreements that now combine both trade and investment provisions, to name a few. However, no matter how reconcilable or converging the two disciplines may be, their enforcement mechanisms are structurally different and are likely to remain so even if the reforms towards a modernization of the investment dispute settlement (currently discussed at the EU policy level) are eventually implemented in the near future. In light of this last point, it is possible to claim that integration between trade law and investment law will only have limited or even negative effects if the trade and investment adjudicators continue to exercise their functions in an isolated manner, without taking cognizance of (i) the norms contained in the other discipline and (ii) the other adjudicator's scope of authority. Effective convergence of trade and investment entails a two-way process pursuant to which one adjudicator can use (i.e. take into account, refer to, apply, interpret and enforce) the law of the other and vice-versa. The thesis envisages one of the two dimensions of this process, namely the use of trade law by the investment adjudicator. Looking into the details of the convergence argument, the role of investment dispute settlement mechanism and the use of trade norms over the past two decades by litigants and arbitrators, the present study identifies both the legal techniques and obstacles these actors shall apply or go beyond in order to use trade norms in the most appropriate way and, more importantly, benefit from this use.

The purpose of this thesis is to do a comparative reappraisal of debt relief measures available to natural person debtors in the South African insolvency law. Although the broader South African natural person insolvency system currently includes three statutory debt relief procedures, namely, the sequestration procedure regulated by the Insolvency Act 24 of 1936, the administration order procedure in terms of the Magistrates Courts Act 32 of 1944 and the debt review procedure found in the National Credit Act 34 of 2005, not all natural person debtors have access to the system. The majority of this marginalised group are debtors with no income and no assets (the so-called No Income No Asset (NINA) debtors). Also, only one measure provides real debt relief in the form of a statutory discharge of debt. Furthermore, the existing measures have developed in a haphazard fashion which has led to a multiplicity of procedures, regulators and forums that resulted in ineffectiveness, inequality and uncertainty. The larger system therefore lacks proper policy considerations. This thesis provides the reasons for reform by, amongst others, arguing that the present situation is unconstitutional as it unreasonably and unfairly discriminates against the NINA group of debtors in particular. It measures the broader South African system against internationally accepted principles of efficient and effective natural person insolvency regimes. In this regard it is found that the system as a whole is seriously deficient. With reference to international principles and guidelines as well as suitable attributes found in foreign jurisdictions, the thesis concludes with suggestions for real law reform. Both substantive and procedural recommendations are made.

The field of customs is commonly referred to as that of imports and exports. It is perceived as a maze of processes, procedures, and forms required to enable a customs administration to perform their wide range of responsibilities. One of the responsibilities of a customs administration is the collection of duties, which necessitates classification of the goods in question. This study sets out to determine the extent of customs control in relation to tariff classification in South Africa. The starting point is the establishment of the foundations of customs, both internationally and in South Africa. After origin and valuation, tariff classification is the third technical customs-related focus area. An analysis of the responsibilities of the customs administration in South Africa confirms the importance of revenue collection and, subsequently, tariff classification. As a result of South Africa’s membership of the World Customs Organization, specific obligations in relation to tariff classification are incurred. The implementation and application of the international provisions are considered and compared in South Africa, Australia, and Canada. Not only is South Africa’s existing legislation considered, but also two new Acts. It is found that despite similarities in the implementation of the Harmonized System Convention into the legislation of the three countries, South Africa’s existing legislation makes the most detailed provision for the Harmonized System and its aids. This is based on the finding that the legislation in Australia and Canada, as well as the two new Acts in South Africa, do not have the same comprehensive provisions. A critical review of the varying processes of classification in the three countries suggests that more suitable and effective processes could be implemented in South Africa. In addition, a synopsis of some of the principles developed in case law is provided and compared. In relation to facilitation, the access to relevant information and the adequacy thereof, as well as the availability of rulings, are considered. Differences in the approach to dispute resolution in the three countries are furthermore provided. Proposals are made to address the discrepancies in the implementation and application of the legislation, the process of classification, the principles developed in case law, the enhancement of related guides, the publication of tariff classification rulings, and the extent of facilitation and dispute resolution. Finally it is recommended that an independent and expert tribunal is established to adjudicate technical customs matters.

There is extensive literature on conflict of legal norms and interests in international investment law. The dominant discourse is on the implications of treaty-based investment protection for sovereign regulatory autonomy. Mainstream scholarship critical of the scope and effect of investment treaties has taken the legal status of these treaties for granted. Little systematic attention has been paid to the capacity of states to make investment treaties and the obligations states can or cannot agree to under those treaties in light of their public interest obligations. Yet, this issue is of fundamental importance for three reasons. First, the case for states’ regulatory autonomy arises out of their primary duty to regulate in the public interest. This duty has its legal justification in national constitutions and international law. Second, treaty obligations are founded on the existence of legal norms necessary for the treaty to come into existence and which define the juridical consequences attached to the conclusion of the treaty. These matters are also determined by national constitutions and international law. Third, the limitations inherent in state-specific defences in international investment disputes settlement compel a proactive rethink of the conclusion of investment treaties and how they are interpreted. The question this thesis assesses with reference to Ghana then is: does a state that is legally required to act both under the terms of its constitution and international law in the public interest have the capacity to conclude investment treaties that expressly prevent or abridge the exercise of its public interest regulatory powers, and how should treaties adopted in breach of these obligations be interpreted? To address this question, three areas of public interest regulation that have featured prominently in investment arbitration serve as case studies: the jurisdiction of municipal courts, environmental protection and development policy. Based on the impact and potential limitations of standards of investment protection on these areas, the thesis argues that some treaties are incompatible with the public interest regulation obligations of Ghana under the Constitution and international law. The core proposition of the thesis is that the legal source and public purpose of the State’s powers prevent it from concluding agreements that directly prohibit public interest regulation or indirectly achieve that effect. Accordingly, the thesis proposes that the express and implied limitations on the duty to regulate in the public interest placed on investment treaty making powers of the State must inform the making of investment treaties and their interpretation. By its approach, this thesis establishes a principled basis for reflection on the limits to the State’s capacity to conclude investment treaties and on how they should be interpreted.

Bu çalışmanın amacı, 6102 sayılı Türk Ticaret Kanunu sistemi ile limited ortaklıklar hukukuna getirilen iki yeni müessesenin incelenmesidir. Ek ödeme ve yan edim yükümlülükleri incelenmiştir. Ortak, ortaklık, pay senedi, limited ortaklık sözleşmesi, esas sermaye, esas sermaye payı, bilânço, bilânço açığı, zarar, zararın kapatılması, edim, yükümlülük, ek finansman araçları, ortaklıktan çıkma ve çıkarılma kavramları ışığında ek ödeme ve yan edim yükümlülüklerinin bu kavramlarla irtibatı açıklanmıştır. Bu incelemeler sonucunda ek ödeme ve yan edim yükümlülüklerinin ülkemizde limited ortaklıkların ticaret hayatında yer edinebilmelerini ve gelişmesini temin edecek faydalı hukuki müesseseler olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Anahtar Sözcükler 1. Limited Ortaklıklar 2. 6102 sayılı Türk Ticaret Kanunu 3. Yükümlülük 4. Ek Ödeme Yükümlülüğü 5. Yan Edim Yükümlülüğü. The main purpose of this thesis is to research the new two concepts which were ordered by the system of new Turkish Commercial Code numbered 6102. In this thesis, the concepts of supplementary obligation of subscription and obligation of fulfilment were researched. The relationships between the concepts of supplementary obligation of subscription and obligation of fulfilment and the shareholder, limited company, certification of share, contract of limited company, capital, balance, deficit of balance, damage, annihilation of damage, fulfilment, obligation, departation and taking off were explained. The results of these research shows us that the concepts of supplementary obligation of subscription and obligation of additional fulfilment are beneficial concepts which are useful and necessary for surviving and developing materials for limited companies in Turkish business life. Key Words 1. Limited Companies 2. Turkish Commercial Code numbered 6102 3. Obligation 4. Supplementary Obligation of Subscription 5. Obligation of Additional Fulfilment

There is increasing interest in social and environmental issues throughout the world, especially in developed countries, where governments, organizations, and society well recognise the impact of business activities on the environment and society. Consequently, companies have potentially no alternative but to behave in a responsible manner, socially and environmentally, and to prove this by disclosing information about their related conduct. In this regard, banks play two important roles: first, as providers of social and environmental information in much the same manner as nonfinancial companies; and second, as providers of finance, by encouraging—if not obliging—bank customers to consider society and the environment in their bank-financed projects. Banks fulfil the latter role by requiring social and environmental information from companies when making lending decisions. Only a few Libyan studies have examined social and environmental issues in relation to economic activity, and these have generally revealed low levels of disclosure practice by organisations, including banks, in these areas. In addition, many changes have taken place in the Libyan economy and banking sector in recent years, including the establishment of a market exchange; decreased government participation in economic activities; and increased growth of the private sector that results, especially in the banking sector, with the entrance of foreign investors. These changes have placed a new emphasis on bank operations and the participation of banks in the Libyan economy. Thus, studying Libyan banks, in terms of their role in the environment and society, has attracted growing interest. As such, the core objective of this thesis has been to investigate the position of Libyan banks in relation to social and environmental issues and disclosure by considering their dual role as both providers and users of such information.

Various initiatives by regulators in different jurisdictions over the past two decades have completely reshaped the airline industry in ways that were unimaginable in 1992. From an industry dominated by Pan Am and Trans World Airlines (TWA), and newly privatized airlines such as British Airways, today's industry is dominated by government-owned intercontinental airlines based in the Middle East and carrying passengers the majority of whom are ultimately destined for States other than the States where the airlines are based. Insufficient thought has been given to whether this evolution is desirable, whether it involves profound competitive distortions or whether it is in the public interest that the majority of Australians visiting Europe are carried by an airline based in neither jurisdiction or that a similar claim might be made with respect to traffic between South Asia and the Americas. This thesis examines the events that have reshaped the international aviation industry over the two decades between 1992 and 2012. It will critically analyze the major developments and the regulatory responses and highlight some of the incompatible and disjointed regulations that are in effect at either end of international routes. It ultimately proposes that Australia, Canada, the European Union (EU), New Zealand and the United States (US) form a small international organization, to be known as the Open Skies International Aviation Block (OSIAB). OSIAB would be based on expanding the membership of the US-EU Joint Committee foreseen in the 2007 US-EU Open Skies Agreement and expanding its scope to cover every aspect of the regulation of international commercial aviation. This thesis argues such a forum is necessary to ensure that regulations in different countries are aligned so that competitive distortions potentially caused by regulatory disharmony are minimized, thus allowing the international airline industry to compete on the level international playing field that so many international agreements have promised to create.

This dissertation purports to connect the preliminary reference procedure with direct taxation. The aim of my dissertation is to lay down how this essential mechanism for the development of EU law – the preliminary reference procedure – deals with the cases in the field of direct taxation. By analyzing the preliminary rulings in the particular field, this thesis will shed light on the meaning of judicial cooperation between the Court of Justice of the European Union (“Court”) and the national courts. The almost absence of harmonized direct taxation reached at the European level enables the Court throughout the preliminary reference procedure to become the only available actor to safeguard the rights conferred to the individuals by EU law. In the area of direct taxation, it encompasses the rights of the individuals to exercise the fundamental Treaty freedoms of circulation. Therefore, the entrenchment of the rights of the individuals requires national courts requesting questions for preliminary rulings whereby national tax law in breach of EU law is challenged. Accordingly, this narrative of “protection of EU rights” which is embedded within article 267 TFEU enables the Court to adopt the role of a constitutional court assessing the compatibility of national law with EU law. The current asymmetries and conceptual mismatches of the substantive case law in the field of direct taxation are firmly anchored in a preliminary reference procedure in which the Court, as a constitutional court, is endowed with discretionary powers to drive it.

Aussi loin que l’on remonte dans le temps, la protection de l’intérêt général est associée au système des brevets. Pourtant, ce concept flou a suscité une vive controverse au sujet du brevet pharmaceutique souvent accusé d’être un obstacle à l’accès aux innovations pharmaceutiques et de perpétuer la fracture sociale. À vrai dire, le brevet est un instrument juridique au service d’enjeux socio-économiques; il confère à l’invention une valeur marchande et n’a pas vocation à être un obstacle à l’accès aux innovations pharmaceutiques. En effet, des études concordantes ont montré que, d’une part, sans le brevet une très grande proportion d’innovations pharmaceutiques ne serait pas mise au point et, d’autre part, l’écartement ou l’expiration du brevet n’ont pas été accompagnés d’un achat massif de produits pharmaceutiques. En tout état de cause, le monopole lié au brevet est précaire et le refus du brevet pharmaceutique s’accompagnera, sans doute, d’un manque d’intérêt à investir dans les activités de recherche et développement pharmaceutiques. En outre, le droit des brevets apporte assez de correctifs pour favoriser la disponibilité des innovations pharmaceutiques pour résoudre le problème de leur accès. Cette thèse sort des sentiers battus pour proposer une relecture du brevet pharmaceutique, sous l’angle de l’analyse économique du droit; elle démontre qu’il sert l’intérêt général. La théorie suivant laquelle le brevet pharmaceutique protège et promeut l’intérêt général n’est pas liée à la question de l’accès aux innovations pharmaceutiques; elle s’entend des intérêts scientifiques et socio-économiques qui y sont associés.

This thesis challenges the traditional view of national contract laws as facilitative regimes and argues that contract law on the national level has been progressively re-oriented to perform an efficiency-driven regulatory function. To develop the argument the thesis studies the contract law remedial regime of two common law and one civil law jurisdiction – the US, England and Bulgaria, in two specific contracts – the sale-of-goods and the construction contract. The introductory chapter puts the main theme in context and outlines the project. Exploring the limits of promissory theory and neoclassical economics, the second chapter develops an innovative interdisciplinary methodology joining the new institutional economics with the comparative law method. The third, fourth and fifth chapters offer taxonomies of remedies, types of contracts and remedial effects to set the stage for a meaningful comparison across the different legal traditions. Since economic theory has advanced most in the study of incentives generated by damages, the third chapter focuses on the latter remedy and shows that the common law classification of damage measures (expectation, reliance, restitution), on which traditional law-and-economics accounts are based, can be applied to study a civil law jurisdiction like Bulgaria. Distinguishing discrete and long-term contracts and demonstrating that the differentiation between sale-of-goods and construction contracts in the compared national legal systems does not necessarily go along the lines of the discrete/long-term distinction in economics, the fourth chapter argues that the positive comparison should be made with an eye on the market for substitute performances even if the compared factual scenarios are classified under different legal categories in the different jurisdictions. For the uninitiated, the fifth chapter reconstructs and criticises the standard economic model rationalising damages as incentives. The final chapter applies the approach developed here to contractual termination. The exemplary analysis identifies trends in the compared legal systems and suggests that all of them converge in charging the termination remedy with a regulatory function. Finally, I generalise to make some bolder claims about contract law.

This thesis discusses jurisdiction to tax cross-border digital commerce. The primary objective is to consider the reasons for the erosion of jurisdictional links, or nexus, between countries and taxpayers' digital activities and evaluate possible solutions for addressing such nexus erosion. Whilst it is argued that digital commerce is impossible to ring-fence due to digital technologies transcending all industries, the main focus of this research is on automated business models as case studies for the broader tax issues applicable across the entire digital economy. Using cloud computing, online advertising and e-tailing models as examples of digital commerce in the narrow sense, this thesis demonstrates that the proxies for establishing jurisdictional nexus have become increasingly fluid, thereby challenging the traditional international tax regimes for profits and consumption taxation. Numerous policy solutions have been proposed in order to rectify nexus erosion, including global and territorial tax models. Unlike the previous research in this area, this thesis focuses on the nexus elements of such proposals and assesses their viability in the light of the wider Internet governance jurisprudence. Global tax solutions, such as global e-commerce taxes and formulary apportionment, are analysed in the context of the international governance regime for the technical Internet infrastructure. Territorial virtual tax solutions, such as virtual permanent establishments, withholding taxes and destination cash flow taxes, are considered in the light of the Internet jurisprudence on the 'effects' and 'targeting' nexus standards. It is argued that, given the lack of technical and political infrastructure, none of the proposed routes would be viable from a practical perspective in the near future. It is concluded, therefore, that a practical solution would involve retaining the traditional profits and consumption tax models, whilst testing a narrow version of the digital targeting nexus standard as a backstop anti-abuse measure. It is envisaged that the limited anti-avoidance provision would subsequently pave the way for a comprehensive long-term solution, as digitisation continues to transform global commerce.

Anonim şirket pay sahiplerinin temel amacı, şirkete koydukları sermaye karışlığında kâr elde etmek ve bu elde ettikleri kârı artırmaktır. Kâr dağıtımı ve şartları genel olarak Türk Ticaret Kanunu'nda düzenlenmiş olup, uygulamada da kâr dağıtımı bu düzenlemelere göre yapılmaktadır. Ancak vergi kanunlarında ve uygulamasında, Ticaret Kanunu'ndaki bu düzenlemeler dışındaki bazı ödemeler için de "örtülü kâr" nitelendirmesi yapılmıştır. Örtülü kâr dağıtımı konusu, genellikle vergi hukukçuları tarafından ele alınan bir konu olup, bu konu şimdiye kadar kâr payının temel unsurlarının düzenlendiği ticaret hukuku açısından detaylı olarak ele alınmamıştır. Bu nedenle hem vergi kanunları, hem de Türk Ticaret Kanunu kapsamında kâr dağıtımının, hangi hallerde örtülü olduğunun ele alınması gerekmektedir. Bunun yanında Sermaye Piyasası Kanunu'nda örtülü kâr dağıtımına benzer uygulamaların olup olmadığı ve halka açık anonim şirketler açısından konunun öneminin de ortaya konulması, meselenin daha net ele alınmasını sağlayacaktır. Çalışmamızda bu amaca yönelik tespitler yapılmış olup, konu tüm yönleri ile ele alınmıştır. İncelemelerimiz sonucunda; vergi kanunlarında "örtülü kâr" olarak nitelendirilen haksız menfaat ödemelerinin, Ticaret Kanunu'ndaki "kâr payı" düzenlemeleri ile açıkça çeliştiğini değerlendirmekteyiz. Bu nedenle vergi güvenliği amacıyla yapılmış da olsa "örtülü kâr dağıtımı" nitelendirmesinin ticaret hukuku genel ilkeleri ile çeliştiği tespitinde bulunduk. Çalışmamızda bu değerlendirmenin gerekçelerini ortaya koymaya gayret ettik. The principal purpose of the shareholders in a joint-stock company is to get profit in consideration of the capital provided and to increase the level of such profit. The profit distribution and the relevant conditions are defined in the Turkish Commercial Law in general and the profit distribution in practice is performed according to these stipulations. However, there is the term i.e. "concealed profit" for some payments in the tax laws and practice apart from these stipulations in the Commercial Law. The concealed profit distribution is a subject that is generally handled by the tax jurists and this subject has not been studied in detail so far in terms of trade law where the main factors of the dividend are defined. For this reason, it is necessary to study on the cases where the profit distribution is deemed ad "concealed" within the scope of both tax laws and Turkish Commercial Law. Besides, whether there are similar practices to the concealed profit distribution in the Capital Markets Law and putting forward the importance of this subject in terms of the public joint-stock companies will enable to handle the subject more clearly. The determinations for this purpose are provided in our study and this subject is handled in all aspects. As a result of our analysis, we have revealed that the unjust interest payments characterized as "concealed profit" in the tax laws are clearly in conflict with the stipulations of "dividend" in the Commercial Law, and therefore, "concealed profit distribution" conflicts with the general principles of trade law even though it is performed for tax safety. We have tried to put forward the justifications of this evaluation in our study.

Using e-books as a case study, this thesis considers whether the principle of equal treatment could play a role in driving more consistent and rational regulation of markets where content is available in both tangible and intangible formats. At present, although the content is the same, these formats are often subject to different rules. This difference in treatment has opened up discussions about whether current legal frameworks should be amended and in these discussions actors with very different standpoints have consistently invoked the language of equality to justify their varied stances. However, in these discussions there is no clear elaboration of what equality means or how it can be used, leading to abstract debates and eventually to arbitrary decisions. The thesis attempts to fill this gap by building a framework based on outcome equality to decide if intangible book formats should be treated ‘like’ tangible ones. It uses the objective underlying the existing rule as the standard for establishing likeness or difference and advocates that functional equality, rather than formal equality, is desirable because this takes account of the differences in the functionalities between content formats: Intangibility impacts on the functioning of the rule in question (e.g. quantitatively increased ease of circulation and copying) and it is only if these impacts can be neutralized that functional equality can be achieved. The framework is applied to the case studies of copyright exhaustion, reduced rates of VAT and fixed book pricing. These have been chosen in recognition of the range of decision-making powers between the national and EU levels in this cultural sector. Overall, the analysis shows that rationality can be inserted by using equal treatment as a guide, but that consistency is more difficult to achieve given the interaction between national and EU influences in the book market.

Dans un contexte socio-économique dominé par la rapidité et la complexité des échanges, le sort du contractant est très souvent déterminé par sa position de vulnérabilité. Quelles formes prend cette vulnérabilité ? Quelles sont les idéologies, les valeurs et les critères de justice à partir desquels les mesures protectrices ont été édictées et mises en œuvre ? Ceux-ci tiennent-ils adéquatement compte de la vulnérabilité des parties ? Quelle place lui réservent les différentes réponses apportées par le droit des contrats ? Telles sont les questions sur lesquelles porte la présente étude sur la justice contractuelle dont l’objectif est de procéder à une analyse critique des fondements de la protection de la partie vulnérable. Ces derniers ne révèlent pas nécessairement l’existence d’une logique d’ensemble. Dans une perspective idéaliste, la moralité contractuelle et l’utilité économique du contrat sont les bases sur lesquelles la protection de la partie vulnérable a été envisagée. Appréhendée sur un plan individuel, la vulnérabilité du contractant repose sur l’idée d’une justice essentiellement réparatrice. Celle-ci est axée sur le respect de la bonne foi contractuelle et sur le désir de donner à chacune des parties les moyens de défendre ses intérêts. C’est donc de manière exceptionnelle que la vulnérabilité sera prise en compte. En réaction aux limites d’une protection faisant de l’existence d’un comportement fautif la condition de l’octroi de la protection, une vision réaliste de la sauvegarde des intérêts légitimes du contractant vulnérable a été mise de l’avant. Elle prend appui sur la dimension collective de la vulnérabilité du contractant. Il en résulte un régime de protection fondé sur la notion de relation et sur une conception objective de la justice. Toute chose qui se traduit soit par une protection technico-formaliste, soit par l’idée de solidarité faisant du contrat le lieu d’une communauté d’intérêts. Cependant, cette approche du contrat n’intègre pas forcément l’importance du rôle réservé à la volonté, ni les diverses catégories de contrats.