Bibliographie sélective OHADA

La Commission des Nations Unies pour le droit commercial international (CNUDCI), organe juridique principal de l’Organisation des Nations Unies à vocation universelle, a reçu de l’Assemblée générale de l’ONU pour mandat d’harmoniser, d’uniformiser et de coordonner le droit commercial international. Plus de quarante-cinq années après sa création, la CNUDCI poursuit son œuvre dans les domaines les plus importants du droit commercial international tels que l’arbitrage commercial international, la vente internationale de marchandises, le droit des sûretés, l’insolvabilité, les paiements internationaux, le transport international de marchandises, le commerce électronique, la passation de marchés et le développement des infrastructures. En adoptant divers instruments juridiques par le biais d’un processus de négociation intégrant les Etats ainsi que certaines organisations intergouvernementales et non gouvernementales, la CNUDCI met à la disposition de la communauté internationale des marchands les outils juridiques nécessaires permettant de faciliter et de sécuriser les opérations du commerce mondial. La présente thèse analyse la manière dont la CNUDCI contribue au renforcement du droit commercial international en adoptant un ensemble de règles juridiques sur les opérations commerciales internationales.

L’objet de cette thèse c’est de répondre à la question si le droit de marque peut être considéré comme le droit de propriété. Par conséquent cette question – de la nature de la maque – semble avoir une grande importance pratique : la réponse sur l’étendue de la protection résultant du droit sur la marque permet en effet de déterminer les cas d’atteinte au droit de marque et les cas d’usage de la marque qui restent dehors du monopole du propriétaire de la marque. Dans un premier temps, il faut avancer la thèse que la qualification du droit de marque en tant que propriété peut être contestable du point de vue des fonctions de la marque qui se trouvent au cœur du droit des marques. Les définitions des marques incluses dans les lois nationales montrent déjà qu’un signe peut constituer une marque, lorsqu’il fournit une fonction de distinction. Par conséquent, on indique que la marque ce n’est pas le signe lui-même, mais un signe qui est capable de distinguer les produits sur le marché. Cette fonction, essentielle, nommée aussi fonction de garantie d’origine, c’est la condition sine qua non d’obtention de l’enregistrement d’un signe en tant que marque et, par conséquent, permettant au signe de jouer le rôle de marque. Le deuxième argument conteste la qualification propriétaire du droit de marque en raison de l’exclusivité limitée à certains usages de la marque L’idée est de savoir quel doit être le caractère d’usage d’une marque d’autrui par un tiers pour que cet usage puisse être qualifié de contrefaçon. D’où la conclusion qui s’impose : ce n’est pas un usage quelconque de la marque qui constitue une atteinte au droit de marque

La promulgation de la loi de la sécurité financière (LSF) en 2003 a modifié l’architecture institutionnelle et la pratique d’audit en France. Au travers l’adjonction de nouvelles règles imposées par cette loi aux spécificités persistantes depuis 1966 comme le co-commissariat aux comptes et la durée du mandat de six ans, le marché d’audit se montre unique. Cette recherche examine l’impact de cette fusion réglementaire sur la qualité et le coût de l’audit en France. En se basant sur un échantillon composé par 888 observations du SBF 250 sur la période 2005-2010, nous avons révélé l’apport de la rotation des équipes signataires dans la restriction de la discrétion managériale. Outre son avantage dans la promotion de la qualité de l’audit, ce dispositif favorise la négociation à la baisse des honoraires d’audit. Nous avons aussi souligné l’évolution sous forme parabolique de la composante discrétionnaire sur la durée de mandat. En effet, la qualité de l’audit est inférieure pendant la première et la dernière phase de l’engagement. Ce postulat renvoie au renforcement de la compétence dans le temps et l’érosion de l’esprit critique à la fin du mandat. Le décalage, issu de la fusion réglementaire, favorise le maintien du niveau de la qualité élevé sur le marché français. L’association des deux équipes avec des durées auditeur-audité différentes est une contrainte à la discrétion managériale. Toutefois, ce décalage ne doit pas être excessif pour limiter la domination du plus ancien. Cet inconvénient du régime du co-commissariat aux comptes s’est trouvé limité sur le marché français. Nos résultats confirment son efficacité, essentiellement dans le cas d’un collège composé par deux Big 4. In 2003, the promulgation of the financial security act (LSF) has changed the institutional architecture and audit practice in France. Through the addition of new rules imposed by this act to the persistent specificities since 1966 as the joint audit and tenure of six years, the audit market shows unique. This research examines the impact of this regulatory merger on the quality and the cost of the audit in France. Based on a sample composed by 888 observations of the SBF 250 over the 2005-2010, we found the contribution of rotation audit partners in restricting managerial discretion. Besides its advantage in promoting audit quality, this device supports the negotiation of lower audit fees. We also emphasized the evolution in the parabolic form of the discretionary accruals over tenure. Indeed, the audit quality is lower during the first and last phase of the engagement. This assumption refers to strengthening the skills over time and erosion of critical appraisal at the end of audit tenure. The shift from regulatory fusion helps to maintain the level of high quality on the French market. The combination of the two teams with different listener-audited tenures is a constraint to managerial discretion. However, this shift should not be excessive to limit the oldest’ domination. This drawback of the system of joint audits is limited in the French market. Our results confirm its effectiveness, mainly in the case of two Big 4.

Le transport aérien s'est fortement démocratisé ces dernières décennies, la réglementation qui l'accompagne s'est considérablement renforcée. Les sources applicables à la responsabilité du transporteur aérien reposent sur des conventions internationales, des règlements communautaires et des législations internes. Ce travail de recherche montre l'application dynamique des sources et les résultats produits par les différentes combinaisons. L’évolution de la notion de responsabilité ouvre d'autres champs de réflexion à travers une étude combinée des concepts de risque et de sécurité du transporteur aérien à l'égard des passagers. Il s'agit également d'étudier le particularisme du contrat de transport aérien de personnes au regard des nouvelles considérations. Le droit communautaire a insufflé une nouvelle vision au contrat de transport, au point d'assimiler le passager à un consommateur. La responsabilité du transporteur aérien s'apprécie sur le terrain des nouvelles technologies. Aujourd'hui, le passager aérien bénéficie des mesures protectrices du droit de la consommation. L'analyse des postes de responsabilité du transporteur aérien permet de comprendre ce processus d'imbrication des sources, et la variété des solutions jurisprudentielles. Le droit communautaire a instauré une réglementation innovante et pragmatique en phase avec les nouvelles exigences des passagers en matière de retard et d'annulation de vol. L'intérêt est de montrer le rôle important de la jurisprudence communautaire dans l'application cumulative du droit conventionnel et du règlement n°261/2004. Le retard est à dissocier des situations générant du retard; le droit communautaire a élaboré une distinction aboutie entre ces événements. Le retard peut être subi collectivement par les passagers, comme en cas d'annulation de vol, ou les affecter de manière individuelle, comme par exemple en cas de refus d'embarquement. Le droit communautaire a édicté des mesures standardisées d'assistance et d'indemnisation. Il conviendra d'expliquer ces dispositifs et les perfectionnements envisagés par le législateur européen. La responsabilité du transporteur aérien en cas d'accident replace le droit conventionnel au centre de toutes les attentions. L'exclusivité des conventions est plus que jamais réaffirmée par la jurisprudence internationale. Mais cette élévation du droit conventionnel est mise à mal par la pratique de certains tribunaux, qui n'hésitent pas mettre à l'écart la Convention au profit du droit interne. Le risque de démantèlement du droit conventionnel est tempéré par les différents renvois du droit communautaire et du droit interne à la primauté de la Convention. La responsabilité du transporteur aérien est une responsabilité objective. Elle met fin à toute limitation financière en cas de lésion corporelle ou de décès du passager. L'absence de définition de la notion d'accident suscite toujours autant d'interrogation. En matière d'accident, le droit conventionnel opère un renvoi implicite au droit interne pour la détermination des postes de préjudices. Dans le cadre de la complémentarité des sources, il est important d'avoir une approche combinée du droit interne français, qui consacre le principe de réparation intégrale et l'application du droit conventionnel. Le passager aérien voyage avec ses effets personnels. Le droit conventionnel a instauré des régimes de responsabilité différents en fonction de la destination du bagage. L'apport du droit communautaire est minimaliste en matière de bagages, mais la jurisprudence de la CJUE a permis une interprétation renouvelée de la réparation due pour les dommages aux bagages. L'étude de cette responsabilité nous conduira à souligner l'importance des réglementations de l'IATA et des conditions générales de transport qui viennent combler les lacunes du droit communautaire et conventionnel, peu intéressés par cette partie de la responsabilité du transporteur aérien. (...) In recent decades, air transport has been greatly democratized, the regulations has increased significantly. The applicable sources for the air carrier liability are based on international conventions, EU regulations and domestic legislations. This research points dynamic application of the sources and the results produced by different combinations. The evolution of the responsibility concept starts other fields of thought through a combined study of the concepts of risk and safety of air carrier towards passengers. It's also studying the particularism of the carriage contract by air of persons under new regards. EU law has brought a new vision of the carriage contract to the point that it assimilates the passenger to a consumer. The liability of the air carrier also values the new technologies field. Today, air passenger benefits from protective measures of consumer law. The damage analysis helps to understand this nesting process sources, and the diversity of cases law. EU law has set up an innovative and pragmatic regulation in line with new requirements on passenger delays and flight cancellations. The purpose is showing the important role of EU law in the cumulative application of treaty law and of Regulation No 261/2004. The general notion of delay has to be dissociated from ordinary situations generating delay; EU law has drawn a distinction between these events. The delay may be experienced collectively by the passengers, as in case of flight cancellation or individually as in case of denied boarding. EU law enacted standardized measures of assistance and compensation. These mechanisms should be explained such as the improvements proposed by the European legislator. In case of accidents the air carrier liability puts the Convention at the center of attention. Exclusivity agreements are more than ever reasserted by international jurisprudence. However this elevation of treaty law is undermined by some courts practices, which do not hesitate to put aside the Convention to the benefit of the domestic law. Dismantling risk of conventional law is softened by the different references of EU law and domestic law to the primacy of the Convention. The air carrier's liability is a strict liability. It puts an end to any financial limitations in case of body injury or death of passenger. The lack of definition of accident concept continues to raise many questions. For accidents, treaty law carries out an implicit reference to domestic law in order to determine the positions damages. As part of the complementarity of sources, it is important to have a combined approach of French domestic law, which enshrines the principle of full compensation, and the enforcement of treaty law. Air passenger travels with his personal effects. Treaty law has introduced different liability regimes depending on luggage destination. The provision of EU law is minimalist in terms of luggage, but the CJUE cases law allowed a renewed interpretation of the compensation for luggage damages. The study of this liability will lead us to stress the importance of IATA regulations and general terms of carriage which fill in the gaps in EU and treaty law, not interested in this part of the air carrier's liability. The Convention has established options of competence which lead to a multitude of courts. The advent of fifth option of competence is part of a consumerist approach of treaty/conventionnal law. More ground of jurisdiction are, more important is the practice of forum shopping. Jurisdiction rules have been enacted by the jurisprudence as mandatory. The introduction of standardized measures of assistance and compensation by EU law highlighted the purview of exclusive nature of the jurisdiction rules. A liability action of victims in case of aircraft accidents or their heirs before the U.S. courts is likely to result in a forum non conveniens. A survey of American and French jurisprudence is needed to measure the extent of this phenomenon. (...)

La présente étude vise l’évaluation des marges d’incertitude des techniques et modalités d’imposition des revenus des contribuables, notamment ceux qui ne tiennent pas une comptabilité conformément au plan comptable en vigueur. Malgré l’apparente technicité des techniques et modalités d’évaluation de la matière imposable, elles ne présentent pas le même degré de rigueur comparativement aux instruments de mesure en sciences expérimentales. L’origine de ces incertitudes est due dans une large mesure à la structure dualiste du tissu socioéconomique, à l’impertinence de la norme fiscale et à la divergence entre la fiscalité et la comptabilité. En effet, dans notre système d’évaluation de la matière imposable coexistent deux systèmes diamétralement opposés : des régimes plus ou moins rigoureux tels le régime du bénéfice net réel et le régime du bénéfice net simplifié et des régimes rudimentaires tel le régime forfaitaire. Certes, les progrès entrepris dans le sens d’une modernisation du système d’évaluation sont louables, mais une large population fiscale continue à ignorer partiellement ou totalement la tenue d’une comptabilité même dans sec aspects les plus élémentaires. Cette situation a évidemment des incidences négatives, voire arbitraires, sur l’appréhension de la base imposable. L’élargissement de l’assiette fiscale est crucial pour garantir les recettes stables nécessaires au financement du développement, notamment dans le contexte de la crise économique et financière actuelle. Une telle situation doit inciter les gouvernements à lutter contre l’évasion et la fraude fiscale, à fiscaliser certains secteurs qui demeurent en marge de toute fiscalisation, notamment l’agriculture, à intégrer dans le champ d’application de l’impôt sur le revenu le secteur informel , à rationaliser les dépenses fiscales et à faire preuve de création pour imposer les richesses. D’une manière générale, tout politique qui se veut efficace doit s’orienter dans le sens d’une promotion de la gouvernance fiscale qui devait en principe s’appuyer sur la rationalisation du système d’évaluation de la matière imposable.

O Direito Internacional Contemporâneo é um sistema pluralista e tem se defrontado com temas os mais diversos na atual agenda internacional. Um dos temas que têm merecido a preocupação do Direito Internacional é a chamada crise da água, assim entendida como a escassez, a poluição, a crise de abastecimento, a sede do setor privado para entrar nesse mercado e os diversos conflitos internacionais em torno da água. A problemática da água envolve, principalmente, três áreas distintas do Direito Internacional, a saber: o Direito do Comércio Internacional, o Direito Internacional do Meio Ambiente e o Direito Internacional dos Direitos Humanos. Para lidar com essa problemática e trazer soluções concretas à questão da água, a presente pesquisa sugere um diálogo entre essas distintas áreas do Direito. Parte do pressuposto do Direito Internacional como um sistema, apesar dos seus distintos regimes, identificando-o frente ao fenômeno da globalização e seu consequente fenômeno da governança global, emoldurado por distintos atores internacionais, distintas normas de direito e distintos fóruns de aplicação. Apresenta o Regime do Comércio Internacional e o Regime do Meio Ambiente Internacional, nos quais já se inserem as questões hídricas, e identifica possíveis diálogos entre esses regimes, moldados pela noção de desenvolvimento sustentável. Afirma a existência do Regime Internacional da Água Doce e suas duas bases de construção estrutural e desenvolvimento: o Direito Internacional da Água Doce para fins diversos da navegação e o Direito Humano à Água. Apresenta os elementos de cada uma dessas defesas e conclui pela existência e desenvolvimento desse regime, cuja consolidação deve ser feita através de um diálogo com o Regime do Comércio Internacional. Nesse proposto diálogo, apresenta dois tipos de interação entre regimes: a interação conflitual e a interação relacional. Como interação conflitual, faz dialogar as normas do GATT e do GATS com as normas do Regime Internacional da Água Doce. Como interação relacional, traz propostas concretas que harmonizam o comércio internacional e a proteção das águas doces, a saber: a criação de uma agência especializada, no âmbito da ONU, para assuntos hídricos; a criação de uma Convenção Quadro sobre recursos hídricos e a criação de um Mecanismo de Desenvolvimento Limpo para a água e seu consequente mercado de water certificates. Após detalhar esse hibridismo das normas sobre recursos hídricos, conclui pela legitimidade dessa interação relacional e pelos ganhos que podem advir em favor de um desenvolvimento sustentável, através desse diálogo entre o Direito do Comércio Internacional e o Direito à Água. The contemporary International Law is a pluralistic system that has faced distinct issues in the contemporary international agenda. One of these issues is the so termed water crisis, which comprises scarcity, pollution, water supply matters, the eagerness of the private sector to dominate it and the different international water conflicts. Water issues have mainly evolved through three different subjects of International Law: International Trade Law, International Environmental Law and International Law of Human Rights. To deal with these issues and to bring about real solutions to the water crisis, this research suggests a dialogue between these three different law subjects. It starts with the conjecture that International Law is a system, despite its different regimes, and identifies it within the phenomenon of globalization and its consequent phenomenon of global governance - shaped by distinct international actors, distinct rules and distinct adjudication fora. It presents the International Trade Regime and the International Environmental Regime, within which the water issues can be found, and points out possible dialogues between these regimes, shaped by the notion of sustainable development. It affirms the existence of the International Freshwater Regime and its two structural and developmental bases: the International Law of Non-Navigational Uses of Watercourses and the Human Right to Water. It introduces each element of these two subsystems and it concludes for the existence and development of the International Freshwater Regime, whose consolidation should be built on a dialogue with the International Trade Regime. Within such a proposal of dialogue, it presents two kinds of regime interaction: a conflict interaction and a relational interaction. As a conflict interaction, it brings about a dialogue between the GATT and the GATS rules and the International Freshwater Regime rules. As a relational interaction, it points out real instruments to harmonize international trade law and freshwater protection: the creation of a specialized agency under the United Nations auspices; the creation of an umbrella-convention on water resources; and the creation of a clean development mechanism and its consequent water certificates market. After explaining the hybridism of the water resources rules, it concludes for the legitimacy of this relational interaction and the gains it may have towards a sustainable development through a dialogue between International Trade Law and the Right to Water.

To regulate and facilitate are the main functions of legal rules. These purposes are achieved by a harmonised legal system by which the law becomes identical in numerous jurisdictions. The process to unify the law of sale internationally started in the 1920s and culminated, in 1988, in the implementation of the CISG. This Convention intends to provide clarity for most international sales transactions by regulating the formation of contracts, and the rights and obligations of the seller and the buyer resulting from the contract. The CISG has these days enjoyed much ratification and influenced a number of legislation reforms worldwide. Despite the role it played during the drafting process of the CISG, the DRC has not yet ratified it. Instead, the country continued to rely, until recently, on colonial legislations which had become out-dated, and inadequate to meet modern international sales contracts requirements. The situation appears to have been improved a year ago as the effect of the adoption of OHADA law whose Commercial Act is largely inspired by the CISG. Because the introduction of OHADA law in the DRC is very recent, this study intends to assess the current state of Congolese sales law by comparing it with the CISG and South African law, which is non-CISG but modernised. The comparative study aims at establishing whether current Congolese law, as amended by OHADA law, is sufficient or has shortcomings; if it has some, it aims to identify those shortcomings, and make suggestions for their improvements. After discussion, it has been discovered that the ratification of OHADA law has significantly improved Congolese domestic sales law. Given that there remain certain unresolved shortcomings in Congolese international sales law, however, the study ends by a proposal for the accession of the DRC to the CISG in order to fill them.

L’évolution du secteur public au cours de ces dernières décennies, a poussé les décideurs politiques au niveau international à réfléchir à des méthodes différentes pour la gestion publique. Cette volonté politique des instances supranationales de répondre aux impératifs de gestion des affaires publiques en vue de garantir leur performance a mobilisé les décideurs des pays du Sud autour de la notion de « bonne gouvernance » considérée comme un levier de paix et de stabilité. La notion de bonne gouvernance est introduite dans le discours des politiques de développement à la fin des années 1980 sous l’égide de la Banque Mondiale qui établi un lien entre la qualité du système de gouvernance d’un pays et sa capacité à promouvoir un développement économique et social durable. Elle sera suivie par les autres institutions de Bretton Woods. De même l’adhésion de la communauté internationale vient accroître la légitimité et donne autorité à la bonne gouvernance dans les conditionnalités d’aide au développement. La bonne gouvernance est ainsi perçue comme un produit mieux élaboré et plus rentable que les programmes d’ajustement structurel autrefois en vigueur. Mais la mise en œuvre de la bonne gouvernance se trouve confrontée aux réalités locales. Dans les entreprises publiques, la bonne gouvernance se heurte au régime de gouvernance de la corruption, très ancrée dans les pratiques et assez adaptatif en fonction du contexte. La bonne gouvernance dans les entreprises publiques devrait donc être le fruit d’une démarche inclusive, qui commence par un changement de mentalité, le respect des règles du jeu, l’adoption des pratiques de gouvernance généralement admises en management public. The evolution experienced by the public sector in recent decades has pushed policy makers at the international level to think about different methods for public management. This political will of supranational institutions to meet the requirements of public management to ensure their performance raised makers from the countries of the South around the notion of ''good governance'' considered as a lever for peace and stability. The concept of good governance is introduced into the discourse of development policies in the late 1980s under the auspices of the World Bank established a link between the quality of the governance system of a country and its capacity to promote a sustainable economic and social development. It will be followed by Institutions coming from Bretton Woods agreements. The support of the international community also comes to increase the legitimacy and gives authority to the good governance in the conditionality of development aid. Good governance is thus perceived as a product better developed and more profitable than structural adjustment programs, once in force. But the implementation of good governance is confronted to local realities. Public companies, good governance are facing the governance regime of corruption, very rooted in practices and quite adaptive according to the context. Good governance in public companies must be the result of an inclusive approach, which begins with a change of mentality, respect for rules of the game, the adoption of the governance practices generally admitted in public management.

Depuis plusieurs années, la procédure de data-room s'est imposée auprès des professionnels de l'investissement comme le mode privilégié de vente d'immeuble leur permettant d'organiser efficacement la rotation de leur patrimoine. Juridiquement, cette procédure se déroule en deux phases. La première, précontractuelle, imposera aux candidats-acquéreurs, de déterminer la valeur de l'immeuble suite à un audit de chacune de ses composantes (juridique, financière, environnementale, technique, fiscale), puis de formuler à une date convenue entre les parties une offre ferme d'achat. La seconde, contractuelle, permettra au candidat-acquéreur retenu par le vendeur de finaliser, par la rédaction d'une promesse puis de l'acte authentique, les conditions de réalisation de la vente.Le recours à une telle procédure n'est pas exempt de risques. D'une part, dans le silence de la loi, elle n'est soumise à aucun régime spécifique et relève donc du droit commun de la responsabilité civile (délictuelle et contractuelle) et plus exceptionnellement de la responsabilité pénale. D'autre part le foisonnement de normes juridiques que doivent maîtriser les candidats-acquéreurs lors de la valorisation de l'immeuble peut induire un risque d'erreur dont la conséquence économique est une surévaluation du prix d'acquisition.Pour parvenir à maîtriser ce double niveau de risque que nous qualifierons de juridique et d'opérationnel, il a fallu dans un premier temps déterminer le régime de responsabilité dont relève cette procédure et ce à chacune de ces phases, puis dans un second temps analyser le déroulement de la phase d'audit en vue de proposer un modèle le plus exhaustif possible.

Le droit français est confronté à des normes d'inspiration musulmane depuis l'arrivée en France de nombreuses personnes ressortissantes des pays musulmans anciennement colonisés par la France. Cette rencontre du droit français avec le droit musulman est réelle car le droit international privé soumet les questions relatives à l'état des personnes à la loi nationale. Malgré la tendance actuelle du droit international privé français qui favorise la compétence de la loi française par rapport au droit étranger, les règles de conflit françaises relatives à la filiation ne sont pas hostiles au droit étranger. Le juge français est donc confronté au modèle musulman de filiation fondée cumulativement sur le mariage et sur le lien du sang. Les conséquences de ce modèle posent certaines difficultés notamment l'exclusion de la filiation naturelle et l'interdiction de l'adoption. Ces prohibitions musulmanes sont comprises comme étant en décalage avec l'évolution du droit français de la filiation qui a abandonné la distinction filiation naturelle et filiation légitime. Cette thèse propose une vision à la fois originale et authentique du droit musulman de la filiation pouvant ouvrir la voie à une réception positive de ce droit souvent présenté comme irrémédiablement opposé au droit français. The French law is confronted with standards of Muslim inspiration since the arrival in France of numerous people nationals of the Muslim countries formerly colonized by France. This meeting of the French law with the right(straight) Muslim is real because the private international law submits the questions relative to the state of the people in the national law. In spite of the current trend(tendency) of the French deprived international law which favors the skill(competence) of the French law with regard to(compared with) the right(straight) foreigner(foreign countries), the French rules(rulers) of conflict relative to the filiation are not hostile to the right(straight) foreigner(foreign countries).he French judge is thus confronted with the Muslim model of filiation based(established) concurrently on the marriage and on the blood relationship. The consequences of this model put certain difficulties in particular the exclusion from the natural filiation and the ban on the adoption. These Muslim prohibitions are understood(included) as being out of step with the evolution of the French law of the filiation which abandoned(gave up) the distinction natural filiation and justifiable filiation. This thesis(theory) proposes a vision at the same time original and authentic of the right(straight) Muslim of the filiation which can open the way to a positive reception of this right(law) often presented as irreparably opposite(opposed) to the French law.

Au fil du temps, la victime a acquis une place bien solide et dispose aujourd’hui d’un rôle considérable au sein du procès pénal. En effet, à l’exception de la phase de l’exécution des peines, la victime intervient effectivement dans le procès répressif en qualité de partie. De plus, la victime qui n’exerce normalement que l’action civile pour la réparation du préjudice subi par une infraction pénale s’immisce dans l’action publique au point de brouiller les frontières qui existaient auparavant entre l ’action privée et l’action publique. Il s’est produit un renouveau du sens du procès pénal, ses finalités ont été ébranlées, la réponse pénale s’est diversifiée et le rôle des acteurs par là-même modifié. L’étude des droits qui lui sont octroyés et du rôle qu’elle exerce au sein du procès répressif a révélé l’ambiguïté de son action. Il est donc apparu nécessaire de clarifier la place de la victime au sein du procès pénal.

L’Europe des paiements a connu une incontestable avancée avec l’instauration de la monnaie unique mais il y’avait une réelle nécessité d’aller au-delà de cette simple monnaie en créant un véritable espace unique de paiement européen. Le législateur européen a voulu créer un cadre commun et homogène en matière de services de paiement à l’ensemble des acteurs bancaires et financiers de la zone économique européenne. De ce souhait d’harmonisation est née la volonté de diminution des coûts. A cet effet, le législateur européen a introduit un nouvel acteur dans le système bancaire et financier : l'établissement de paiement. Cette nouvelle structure a donc été créée avec un objectif clairement affiché : celui de favoriser la mise en concurrence sur le marché des services de paiement afin d’aboutir à cette baisse des coûts. Afin de favoriser le développement des établissements de paiement, le législateur européen leur a consacré un cadre spécifique avec des conditions prudentielles assouplies et une procédure d’agrément dédiée. En contrepartie de ce cadre allégé, ces nouveaux établissements de paiement ne pourront proposer que des services de paiement restreints. Dès lors, la mise en concurrence avec leurs prédécesseurs ne pourra être que limitée.Par ailleurs, en présence de ces nouveaux acteurs et des services de paiement innovants pouvant être proposés, il était nécessaire d'offrir aux utilisateurs de services de paiement une protection spécifique. Mais le cadre réglementaire européen établi semble être incomplet. De même, notre réglementation nationale paraît inadaptée soulevant ainsi une nécessité de réforme générale.

This thesis examines whether the net asset fair values of banks possess predictive ability for the banks’ future cash flows and earnings. This is an important issue considering the arguments for and against the wider use of fair value accounting for banks’ financial instruments and the claim by some that fair values during economic recessions (where markets may be illiquid) are irrelevant and largely unreliable. A number of studies have found that the explanatory power of bank fair values when compared to traditional historical cost are more value-relevant based on capital market reactions. However, there is a very limited literature on how bank fair values are related to the future performance (e.g. earnings and cash flow) of banks. This study fills this gap by providing empirical evidence on the relationship between U.S. bank fair value disclosures and banks’ future performance as measured by operating cash flows and earnings over a three-period future horizon. Furthermore, the thesis provides evidence on the relationship between bank fair values, in terms of the levels classification introduced during the 2008 global financial crisis, and the future performance of banks, thus showing whether market illiquidity affected the underlying relationships. The study examines two distinct periods. The first study period, 1996-2005, was based on annual data of banks with minimum total assets of $US150 million as of year 1996. The second study period from 2008-2010 (this period encompassed the global financial crisis period and also the levels classification of bank fair values according to SFAS 157), was based on quarterly data of banks with minimum total assets of $US150 million as of the first quarter of 2008. The thesis provides strong evidence that there is a predictive relationship between bank fair values and future bank performance. The evidence is strong during the first study period from 1996 to 2005 where the current net asset fair values of on-balance sheet financial instruments of banks were significantly associated with future operating cash flows and operating earnings of such banks over a three-year future time horizon. However, the predictive relationship between net asset bank fair values and operating cash flows is stronger than the predictive relationship between net asset bank fair values and operating earnings. In the second study period, from 2008 until 2010 the empirical results show strong evidence that there is a predictive relationship between level 1 and level 2 bank fair values and future operating cash flows. The findings from the empirical results were that the current quarter’s level 1 and level 2 net asset fair values of banks were significantly associated with the future quarters’ operating cash flows of such banks. The level 3 net asset fair values of such banks in most cases were not significantly associated with the banks’ future quarterly operating cash flows. The corresponding relationships for operating earnings were that the current quarter’s level 1 net asset fair values of banks were positively associated with the future quarters’ operating earnings of such banks. However, the level 2 net asset fair values of banks were negatively associated with the future quarters’ earnings of such banks. This result is in contrast to the results obtained when the predictive relationship between level 2 bank fair values and future operating cash flows was evaluated, where it is found that both level 1 and level 2 net asset bank fair values are positively related to future quarterly bank cash flows. Further empirical analysis showed that a possible reason behind this disparity was that there was a structural change in the relationship between bank operating cash flows and operating earnings over the course of the first and second study periods, where, in particular, for the second study period (which includes the period of the global financial crisis) there was a systematic downward bias in operating earnings relative to the operating cash flows of the sampled banks. This in turn makes operating earnings a poor proxy for operating cash flows during the second study period. The findings from this study provide confirmation that net asset fair values have predictive ability as argued by Ball (2008); Barth (2006b) and Tweedie (2008). The study findings that net asset fair values have predictive ability is consistent with the FASB’s view that the asset values shown in firm financial statements should communicate information about the potential future financial performance of the affected firms (FASB 2010:17). Furthermore, the study also confirms that objectively determined bank fair values based on market prices rather than model based bank fair values provide greater predictive value in relation to future performance as measured by operating cash flows. Lastly, this thesis showed that during the first study period (where there was no financial crisis) that bank size, capital adequacy and growth prospects, had little impact on the results obtained, while for the second study period, there were cases where bank size and bank capital ratios did have a significant impact on the predictive relationship between bank fair values and future cash flows. The study contributes to the fair value accounting and accounting standard-setting literature and highlights that fair values have predictive ability, especially with respect to future operating cash flows of banks, both during and outside of periods of financial crisis.

This thesis identifies a gap in existing theories of corporate finance. This gap is an implication of a Keynesian-Minskian analysis of markets and market-based economies. From a founding theoretical perspective rooted in the view that markets are not reliably efficient the case is developed that past price trend extrapolation is an important factor in corporate financing decisions. At a macro-financial level, companies repurchase equity over periods of strong market rises, while increasing debt at the same time. During periods of sustained, substantial market decline debt is retired and large new equity issues occur. This change in corporate financing is implicitly expensive as relatively low prices are realised for the new stock issued at these times. These factors suggest that conventional theories of corporate financing decisions that rely on corporate rationality and optimisation do not provide a compelling fit with observations in the period 1980-2012. Moreover, inference to Minsky’s (1986) argument that companies are compelled through market declines to shore up their balance sheets provides a better fit with the evidence. These arguments form the basis for the development of the ‘extrapolative expectations’ theory of corporate finance. The second major development in this thesis draws on the theoretical development outlined above to create market movement description and prediction models. These models operate on data drawn from the US Standard & Poors 500 index over the period 1980-2012. Two primary models are developed using binomial logistic regressions. The dichotomous dependent variables are drawn as quarters of market rise (1) or no rise (0), and market falls (1) or no fall (0), respectively for the ‘buy’ model and the ‘sell’ model. Variables tested and those found to add to an explanation of the dependent variables include: corporate debt flows, corporate equity flows, corporate dividend flows, interest rates, market volumes, and historical market levels. Each variable is tested for up to ten lags (two-and-a-half years). Collectively, the variables add to our understanding of those factors influencing (or at the least, signalling) market levels, enabling quarter ahead market forecasts to be made with greater accuracy than arises from an assumption of a random walk. This conclusion crystallises the view that company macro-financial flows and prices are an important cause or signal of future market direction.

This PhD thesis explores how the legal infrastructure for dispute resolution in transnational securities transactions can be improved, considering the regulatory and legal limits of the financial sector in each jurisdiction under study (US, Europe and Brazil). The two main objectives of the work are to a) identify the problems that currently exist for a dispute resolution mechanism in the securities area that can be used transnationally and b) propose solutions that can create a safe legal environment that can be used by the investor in case regulatory rules or the terms of the transaction are breached. The work is justified by the fact that financial markets are legal constructions, making legal certainty and the mechanisms available to enforce the terms of a transaction and apply regulatory rules, especially to the investor that is part of the transaction, essential for the own existence of financial markets. Therefore, the existence of transnational financial markets also depends on the existence of a transnational legal infrastructure, at least broad enough to protect the interest of investors. The argument developed through the work is that the creation of a transnational legal infrastructure depends on the type of dispute that is considered, since not only each type of dispute has its own peculiarities, but the national dispute resolution systems are also built based on the type of dispute that will be submitted to it. To create transnational dispute resolution systems for securities transactions, I propose the use of collective mechanisms of dispute resolution based on the initiative of private parties, the use of arbitration and the establishment of cooperation networks among national alternative dispute resolution mechanisms used to solve financial disputes.

Forfaiting, yatırım malları ve hizmet ihracından doğan alacakların satıcı-ihracatçıya rücu edilmeksizin satışı olarak tanımlanmaktadır. Farklı biçimleri bulunmasına karşılık, bu finansman yönteminin temel konusu poliçe ve bonodan doğan alacaklardır. Poliçe forfaiting'inde poliçe, ihracatçı tarafından ithalatçı üzerine çekilmekte ve onun tarafından kabul edilmektedir. Bu durumda ihracatçı keşideci, forfaiter ise lehdar ya da ciranta konumunda bulunmaktadır. Fakat bu durum bazı problemlere yol açmaktadır. Zira bu finansman yönteminin temel ve ayırıcı özelliği rücu edilmezlik klozudur. Bu kloz, kıymetli evrak hukuku bakımından ihracatçının, ciroya "rücu edilmez" kaydı eklemek suretiyle kendisini poliçenin ödenmemesi sorumluluğundan kurtarmasını ve forfaiter'ın ticari riski üstlenmesini gerekli kılar. Fakat bir poliçenin keşidecisi, poliçenin kabul edilmesini ve ödenmesini garanti etmektedir. Onun kendisini poliçenin kabul edilmemesi sorumluluğundan kurtarması mümkün iken, ödenmemesi sorumluluğundan kurtarması mümkün değildir. Zira keşidecinin poliçenin ödenmemesinden sorumluluğunu kaldıran kayıtlar yazılmamış sayılır. Bu durum ise forfaiting'in özüne aykırıdır. Bahsi geçen bu problem bonolar bakımından söz konusu olmaz; çünkü bono forfaiting'inde ithalatçı, asıl borçlu olarak düzenleyen, ihracatçı ise lehdar konumundadır ve onun kendisini ciranta olarak ödememeden sorumsuz kılması mümkündür. Bu farklılık nedeniyle forfaiting işleminde bir çok ihracatçı tarafından bonolar, poliçelere nazaran tercih edilmektedir. Forfaiting is defined as the purchase, without recourse to any previos holder of receivables due to mature in the future and arising from export of capital goods and services. Although there are several forms of forfaiting, main subject of this form of finance is receivables arising from bills of exchange and promissory notes. In bill of exchange forfaiting, the bill of exchange is drawn on the importer (drawee) by exporter (drawer) and accepted by importer. The forfaiter is payee (beneficiary) or indorser. But this cause several problems . Because the main characteristic and distinctive speciality of this financing method is "without recourse clause". This clause requires exporter to free himself from any responsibilities by using of "without recourse, sans recourse stipulation" in the indorsement and requires forfaiter to assume commercial risks in terms of law of negotiable instrument. But the drawer of a bill of exchange guarantees both aceptance and payment. He may release himself from the liability of non acceptance but any stipulation by which he releases himself from the liability of non payment is deemed to be not written. Thus, the drawer of a bill of exchange, the exporter, may not be liable as it is indorser but will always be liable as it is drawer. This situation conflicts with the esense of forfaiting. But the problem as stated above is not seemed in promissory notes because in promissory note forfaiting, the importer is maker as main obligor and the exporter is (payee) beneficiary. And he has the legal right to free himself of any liability as an indorser by using without recourse stipulation. Because of this difference promissory notes are prefered to bill of exchange by many exporters.

The promotion of sustainable development is an objective shared by African Union (AU) member states and the pursuance thereof is expressly mandated by the Constitutive Act of the African Union, 2000 and the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community, 1992. Lack of access to modern energy sources, such as electricity and the heavy reliance on traditional biomass as primary energy source are factors contributing to the non-achievement of the promotion of sustainable development. These factors are collectively referred to as energy poverty. The African Continent as a whole has limited, and in some instances, lack access to modern energy sources while the majority of its population relies heavily on traditional biomass as primary energy source. Africa can accordingly be classified as an energy poor region–a situation which does not bode well for the promotion of sustainable development. Access to reliable, affordable, economically viable, socially acceptable and environmentally sound energy services and resources is fundamental to socio-economic development. Mitigating the impacts of energy poverty and more specifically lack of access to modern energy sources on the sustainable development of Africa depends upon ensuring increased access to modern energy sources. The above-mentioned instruments furthermore contain provisions which link regional cooperation on the formulation of coordinated regional law and policy on areas/matters of common concern with the achievement of the objective of promoting sustainable development in Africa. One of the areas of common concerns listed is that of energy. Regional cooperation must accordingly be geared towards the effective development of the continent‘s energy and natural resources; promoting the development of new and renewable energy in the framework of the policy of diversification of sources of energy; and establishing an adequate mechanism of concerted action and coordination for the collective solution of the energy development problems within the AU. The formulation of coordinated energy law and policy should take place with reference to the specific sources of energy to be regulated. In this regard, the provisions of the Abuja Treaty and other sub-regional energy access initiatives list various sources of energy as forming part of a diversified AU energy mix – one of which is nuclear energy. In this study recommendations are made as to what should be embodied in a coordinated AU regional nuclear legal framework aimed at regulating increased access to nuclear energy capable of contributing towards the promotion of sustainable development. The recommendations are based on an examination of relevant international, regional and sub-regional legal instruments and other initiatives.

This thesis critically assesses the effectiveness of WTO legal rules in the regulation of international trade in petroleum and highlights potential conflicts between competing resources of energy from the WTO regime’s perspective. The theoretical framework of the thesis is built on the concepts used in natural resource economics, trade theories and international relations. On the basis of Hotelling’s rule of natural resource economics, it proposes a model that reconciles the use of petroleum and the development of renewable sources of energy in the power generation sector, which prospectively can be adopted with respect to the transport sector and other sectors involving energy use. The proposed model may improve global sustainable development. However, it is argued that WTO rules are not properly designed to regulate trade in petroleum and, if applied without due respect to specific issues pertaining to the petroleum industry, would obstruct the achievement of the social optimum, and detrimentally affect the national economies of WTO members and global welfare in general. To improve the WTO system, I propose a reformation of its normative ideology through the introduction of the strategic trade policy theory in complement to the neoclassical theory of trade, at least when trade in energy is concerned. On the basis of the study of the applicability of WTO rules to trade in petroleum and a review of proposals put forward by other scholars to improve the regulation of trade in energy, it is argued that the most effective way to improve the trading regime is to negotiate a new general agreement on trade in energy.The role of the WTO in the regulation of trade in energy is analyzed through a regime management theory borrowed from international relations studies. It is argued that the WTO as a regime manager is capable of improving the regime by properly maintaining the existing equilibrium and by initiating, and leading in negotiations of a new equilibrium.

This thesis explores three important issues in financial distress and corporate bankruptcy: bankruptcy venue choice and creditor recovery, the efficiency of Chapter 11 corporate bankruptcy and distressed exchanges, and the bankruptcy ripple effect on peer firms’ investment policy.

This thesis seeks to determine whether the evolution of international law has allowed for the concept of cultural genocide to be addressed in spite of its non-codification. It firstly provides an assessment of the evolution of the concept of cultural genocide, from a technique to a process of genocide, also known as 'ethnocide'. Acknowledging that the codification of the concept is unlikely in the future, it therefore undertakes a study of the evolution of international law with regard to the main components of the concept, namely genocide, culture and group. The evolution of the legal concept of 'genocide' raises the question of the interpretation of the international definition of genocide, which is enshrined in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, so as to encompass instances of cultural destruction. The state of international and domestic judicial practice illustrates the limits of an evolutionary interpretation. In contrast, international law has evolved considerably in relation to the protection of some groups and their culture, so that customary international law, and especially international human rights law, may be deemed to prohibit group cultural destruction and consequently entail State responsibility. The thesis argues that this evolution could ground the articulation of an international law-based approach to the concept of cultural genocide both by allowing for its criminalisation through the crime against humanity of persecution and by providing tools for a stronger framework of State responsibility, especially in the context of genocide prevention. Furthermore, this approach would give rise to the possibility of further conceptualising reparation for the intended cultural damage. Against this background, the thesis firstly draws conclusions as to the irrelevance of enclosing the debate exclusively at the level of the genocide legal framework and, secondly, as to the relevance of cultural genocide as a 'paralegal concept', an understanding which would drive the interpretation of international legal norms, especially in cases involving indigenous peoples' cultural harm.