Bibliographie sélective OHADA

Environmental reclamation obligations are statutory mechanisms designed to regulate environmental protection by corporate entities. Bankruptcy laws on the other hand are meant to offer insolvent corporations an opportunity to reorganize their affairs, satisfy creditors claims and make a fresh start. In practice, the application of bankruptcy laws can undermine key environmental reclamation objectives, leading many to ask whether a corporation undergoing restructuring with significant outstanding environmental reclamation obligations should be able to commence bankruptcy proceedings to satisfy creditors’ claims? By employing the doctrinal and comparative research methodologies, this research interrogates that inquiry. It argues that, despite the importance of bankruptcy protection for corporations undergoing financial distress, environmental protection should be paramount. Although sustainable finance (SF) instruments have been deployed by banks to enable creditors to mitigate environmental concerns in their investments, the persistent recurrence of environmental reclamation issues in the oil and gas sector particularly during insolvencies, underscores the need for financial investors to strengthen their investment policies to reflect best practices providing the desired protection for the environment. The research finds that, although SF and environmental, social and governance (ESG) approaches, are commendable, they are insufficient in instilling adequate regulatory impact on the environment compared to judicial control offered by the courts. The thesis concludes that whilst judicial control mechanism is not without concerns, with government’s deliberate financial policy and judicial control to complement SF and ESG efforts, ESG and SF mechanisms can be strengthened to compel greater significant influence on best practices in lending.

A Lei de Recuperação Judicial e Falência, após a reforma de 2020, permitiu que a maioria dos credores, organizados em assembleia, possam impor medidas à empresa em recuperação judicial e aos seus sócios, nos termos do art. 56, § 4o e seguintes. Embora diversas medidas possam ser adotadas pelo plano dos credores, como é o caso das determinações de aspecto exclusivamente patrimonial e a alteração da administração da empresa em recuperação judicial, algumas providências não podem ser impostas sem que haja a anuência dos sócios, nos termos da legislação societária, como é o caso da fusão, incorporação e transformação. A capitalização dos créditos em recuperação judicial, inclusive com a alteração de controle, é expressamente admitida pela Lei de Recuperação Judicial e Falências, o que enseja, em determinados casos, o exercício do direito de retirada pelos sócios do devedor. O cálculo do recesso para fins de exercício do direito de retirada deve ocorrer mediante um critério exclusivamente patrimonial, sem que seja permitido que os sócios retirantes possam se valer da expectativa de lucratividade futura da sociedade no cálculo do valor da empresa para fins de recesso. O crédito decorrente do direito de retirada possui natureza extraconcursal e não se sujeita aos efeitos da recuperação judicial. Seu pagamento, entretanto, deve ocorrer de maneira compatível com a preservação da empresa, mediante a utilização de um percentual dos resultados futuros, sem que seja possível a venda de ativos da empresa em recuperação para pagamento dos sócios retirantes.

As sociedades de propósito específico (SPEs) não configuram um tipo societário próprio, mas sim mera categoria eficacial autônoma. A investigação histórica do instituto evidencia raízes desde os tempos romanos, tendo reverberado, ainda, nos arranjos típicos do período medieval e nas codificações oitocentistas, revelando sua essência como uma necessidade comercial da vida prática de separar patrimônios em função de um propósito específico, com projeções internas e externas que foram moldadas ao longo do tempo para viabilizar a consecução de empreendimentos de alto risco e promover o desenvolvimento econômico. No Brasil, está presente desde o Código Comercial de 1850, tendo sido adotada por diversas legislações esparsas ao longo dos últimos séculos para as mais diversas funções, servindo como mola propulsora ao desenvolvimento econômico. Como categoria eficacial autônoma que é, goza de flexibilidade para ser aplicada a qualquer tipo societário, modulando os efeitos típicos que lhes são assegurados aos seus ordenamentos societário, patrimonial e da atividade em função do propósito específico almejado. Não por outro motivo, seguindo o que nos parece ser a melhor técnica, o legislador tratou sua previsão normativa expressa no dispositivo de que trata do objeto social, restringindo-o em função de um propósito específico. Aos aplicadores do direito, diante do desenvolvimento histórico do instituto de seus efeitos, cabe saber distingui-los e aplicá-los, de modo a assegurar a efetividade da categoria em nosso ordenamento jurídico e o desempenho de sua função socioeconômica moldada ao longo de tantos anos.

This work aims to analyze the aggregation of creditors into classes within the scope of judicial reorganization in accordance with Law No. 11.101/2005, as well as the procedural and principled impacts involved, such as the approval of the judicial reorganization plan, the aggregation of creditors into classes, the voting system, and the principles of par condicio creditorum and preservation of the company. It aims to identify gaps and mechanisms that may lead to the distortion of the intended purpose and presents premises and hypotheses for limiting and practically implementing the topic to avoid abusive practices. Thus, this work presents brief introductory and fundamental notions about judicial reorganization by the presentation of basic concepts related to the judicial reorganization plan and the division of creditors into classes, demonstrating the origins, objectives, and expectations of the establishment of classes as presented in Law No. 11.101/2005. Furthermore, specific study objectives include analyzing how the division of classes of creditors affects the voting on the judicial reorganization plan and how the possibility of creating subclasses - such as strategic creditors - has been addressed and its direct and indirect effects on the procedure and involved creditors. Next, this work verifies the legal provisions on the topic - such as Article 41 of Law No. 11.101/2005 as well as the consequences and impasses observed throughout the years of the law\'s existence that demands attention and changes to ensure that treatment of creditors in the context of reorganization occurs in a more just and appropriate manner for all parties involved. Thereby, alternative solutions will be presented for better management of the judicial reorganization procedure regarding creditor classes and subdivisions to ensure and preserve the objective of judicial reorganization, always considering the economic, political, and social factors that influence the analysis of the company\'s economic viability, which are constantly changing.

In South Africa, before the Financial Advisory and Intermediaries Services Act (FAIS Act) and other insurance laws came into existence, intermediary services regarding the rendering of insurance products have always been regulated by the law of agency and mandate. This means that the Roman-Dutch principles provided for the standards to which the conduct of intermediaries was to comply with when rendering insurance services. The mandate of intermediaries in terms of the Roman-Dutch Principles also included the fact that they had to act with care, skill and in good faith. When the FAIS Act came into operation, it introduced several detailed rules and minimum standards for insurance intermediaries to comply with, and these minimum standards are not limited to qualifications, experiences and characteristics of honesty and integrity that an intermediary must comply with, but they also stipulated in detail what an intermediary must do when discharging insurance intermediary duties. The FAIS Act is the leading legislation when it comes to the regulation of intermediary services. The FAIS Act, under section 16, provides for a General Code of Conduct for Authorised Financial Services Providers and their Representative (GCC), which contains a set of rules that are applicable to all intermediaries. These rules under the GCC are aimed at ensuring that insurance customers are provided with material facts that will enable them to make a prior informed decision and that their reasonable financial needs concerning insurance products will be carefully considered so that they can be provided with a product that will be suitable to satisfy their needs. Furthermore, in terms of South African laws and practices, intermediaries play an essential role in the creation of legally binding insurance contracts. Insurance businesses are concluded through intermediaries. Considering that many insurance companies are juristic persons, and they can only conduct business by means of human agents, insurance laws make it compulsory for intermediaries to have skills, knowledge, and experience regarding insurance products that they are rendering to insurance customers. It is commonly believed that intermediaries with skills, knowledge and experience, they always act in the best interest of the client, and they ask relevant questions to assist the clients to disclose all material facts, and they always make sure that material facts are clearly communicated/disclosed to the insurer and insured to avoid future conflicts. The legal framework placed a duty on the intermediary to assist the insured to disclose all material facts and to explain all clauses contained in the insurance contract which may lead to the insurer repudiate its liability. Furthermore, an intermediary is at all material times expected to first consider the financial situation of the potential insured before determines a cover that will be best suitable for the insured’s needs. However, despite the best guidelines outlined by applicable insurance laws and regulations, mistakes are still being made by intermediaries, which lead to insurance customers to suffer the consequences of impractical intermediary services, and that has resulted in numerous complaints, legal disputes, debarments, and other regulatory actions. As a result of intermediaries’ continuous misconduct, insurers have been repudiating claims, and it has created a presumption that insurers conduct businesses to enrich themselves instead of protecting the interests of their customers as required by regulating legal framework. Therefore, so many people have lost confidence in the insurance industry due to unlimited court cases and complaints arising from misconduct or omissions of intermediaries, such as their failure to disclose material facts to the parties. Once it is found that material facts were not fully disclosed between the insurer and insured, both parties would have been deprived of their right to make an informed decision before consenting or signing a legally binding contract. Therefore, a need is created for intermediaries to be educated of their legal duties when rendering insurance services and that will help strengthen or restore the confidence of the public towards insurance industry.

Abstract available in PDF.

Mergers in the Italian and European legal system. The Italian legal landscape for mergers. Applicable regulations. Stages of the merger process. The first phase: the merger plan. The second phase: the merger resolution. The third phase: the merger deed. The protection of creditors. The invalidity of the merger. The FIAT-Chrysler merger. Evolution of the legal nature of mergers in the Italian legal system: legislative and jurisprudential perspectives. The extinguishing-successory orientation. The evolutionary–modifying orientation. Court of cassation ruling no. 2637 of 2006. Return to the extinguishing-successory orientation: judgement no. 21970/2021. Debate surrounding judgement 21970/2021: criticism and support. Mergers in the American legal system. The American legal landscape for mergers. The evolution of the US corporate law of mergers. Sources of corporate law. The merger process. Economic motives for mergers. Steps of the merger procedure. The merger plan. Merger between parent and subsidiary or between subsidiaries. Articles of merger. Effects of merger. Abandonment of a merger or share exchange. The ExxonMobil merger. Comparative analysis of the Italian and American legal systems. Historical and constitutional influences on Italian and American legal systems. Differences and similarities in the merger process. Comparison of FIAT Chrysler and ExxonMobil mergers.

This thesis focuses on the relationship between contract law and corporate insolvency law as it investigates the idea and protection of executory contracts within restructuring proceedings. However, preserving these agreements frequently necessitates taking legal action against established contract law tenets like the freedom of contract and the duty to perform. The study looks at how difficult it can be to keep debtor and creditor interests in balance, especially when there are disruptions brought on by insolvency. The study suggests ways to improve the efficacy of restructuring proceedings by analysing the EU Directive on restructuring and insolvency, contrasting practices in various jurisdictions, and evaluating the impact on stakeholders. The goal of this study is to protect the rights of all parties involved in corporate restructuring while advancing the creation of legal frameworks that facilitate effective restructuring.

An array of governance initiatives has emerged to address forced labour and labour exploitation in global value chains (GVCs). Drawing on the transnational business governance interactions theoretical framework, as well as Timothy Bartley’s place-conscious transnational governance model, this thesis examines the interaction between two of these hybrid forms of governance: multi-stakeholder initiatives and corporate sustainability laws. I conduct a case study of the cocoa sector, and specifically of the multinational company, Nestlé, using multiple qualitative research methods including legal analysis, key informant interviews, and documentary analysis. My research suggests that the layering of corporate sustainability laws, and particularly the French Duty of Vigilance Law, on top of CSR and MSIs in the cocoa sector, is not addressing the governance gap that permits corporations to evade accountability for human rights abuses in their supply chain. I find that the introduction of corporate sustainability laws may have contributed to a decrease in Nestlé's efforts to address labor violations in certain areas, while in others, it appears to have supported the continuation of existing practices. This raises implications for the continuous efforts in various jurisdictions to introduce these laws as a solution to the shortcomings of private, voluntary rule-making systems. Further research is required to explore how these governance mechanisms are interacting in other sectors, in companies of different sizes, and within various types of MSIs. This will help identify the factors that influence interactions and shed further light on the path forward for policymakers.

Workplace bullying is not considered a form of harassment that is commonly acknowledged nor does it attract specific legislative protection. The aim of this mini-dissertation is to ascertain the degree to which victims of workplace bullying are protected by South African labour legislation and whether other measures are necessary to ensure that employees are adequately protected. A comparative analysis between South Africa and the United Kongdom's legislative frameworks that governs workplace violence and harassment and, by implication, bullying is a critical aspect of this mini-dissertation.

Tax authorities have always assessed and enforced taxes based on the physical address of businesses over the years. Nevertheless, the idea of tax jurisdiction has taken on a new meaning with the development of information and communication technology, and its profound impact on every facet of human existence – including but not restricted to trade and business. This development has undoubtedly increased capital mobility, especially in corporate form, and exposed more the weaknesses in national tax laws by enabling the artificial relocation of important economic components and potential exemption from taxes. Since it is getting harder to separate the digital economy from the rest of the economy for taxation reasons, the process of digitalization has emerged as one of the primary growth drivers. This expansion, together with aggressive tax planning strategies used by multinational enterprises (MNEs) to move revenues to low-tax jurisdictions and the development of business models requiring less physical presence, has increased the workload for tax administrators; furthermore, it has reduced governments’ capacity to raise funds in the traditional manner. In this regard, I assess how “adequate” the selected African countries’ frameworks are vis-à-vis the ongoing OECD and UN negotiations. Beyond the consultations, I call for a more inclusive and Africanised approach and the need for African countries to improve their tax administration mechanisms.

Objetivo: Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo compreender as motivações que levam os contabilistas acreditados da Guiné-Bissau a se afiliarem à Ordem dos Contabilistas, bem como identificar e compreender as barreiras enfrentadas pelos contabilistas que não são afiliados, com o intuito de propor estratégias que incentivem a afiliação e promovam o desenvolvimento profissional do contabilista no país. Método: Foi utilizada uma abordagem qualitativa. Entrevistas semiestruturadas foram conduzidas com contabilistas acreditados e não acreditados para explorar suas percepções e experiências. A análise de conteúdo foi empregada para interpretar os dados, destacando as motivações para a afiliação e as barreiras enfrentadas pelos não afiliados. Resultado: Os resultados demonstram que os contabilistas acreditados entrevistados não consideram a existência de barreiras. Já os contabilistas não inscritos na ordem mostram-se motivados para se inscreverem na ordem, uma vez que isso lhes permite ter acesso à formação contínua e alcançar estatuto como profissionais de qualidade. Contribuição: A contribuição desta pesquisa consiste em enriquecer o estudo da profissionalização da contabilidade. Igualmente, irá contribuir para uma melhor compreensão do estado da profissão contabilística na Guiné-Bissau. Além disso, dada a inexistência de literatura sobre o tema, este estudo irá ajudar a aumentar o conhecimento das difíceis situações com que os contabilistas acreditados e não acreditados se deparam no exercício das suas funções na Guiné-Bissau.

The African Continental Free Trade Area as a flagship project of Agenda 2063 represents renewed attempts by the African Union to drive the continent closer to its economic integration ambitions, which can be formally traced back to the adoption of the African Declaration on Cooperation, Development, and Economic Independence, and later the Treaty Establishing the African Economic Community. Building on these frameworks, the AfCFTA seeks to, amongst others, advance intra-African trade by creating a single market for goods and services facilitated by the movement of persons, promoting sustainable and inclusive socio-economic growth, creating a liberalised market for goods and services, and promoting industrial development. Central to the attainment of the objectives of the AfCFTA is a well-functioning and effective institutional framework at a continental, regional, and national level all well-integrated to facilitate and oversee its implementation. The strengthening of regional and continental institutions to effectively lead and drive Africa’s transformation agenda has also been recognised by Agenda 2063 as a key enabler to this end. The demise of previous African integration efforts has mainly been attributed to the weakness of regional and continental organs to be able to effectively oversee and administer the implementation of continental programmes by the countries. This thesis appraises the institutional framework established to oversee the implementation, administration, facilitation, and monitoring of the AfCFTA, and this is considered against the broader African Union institutional framework and the regional economic communities. Although vastly different, the thesis further considers the experience and best practices from the European Union regional integration model to draw lessons and with a view to reforming and integrating African continental and regional bodies to be able to effectively oversee key initiatives including the AfCFTA. Finally, the thesis considers some of the work already initiated by the AU to review and reconfigure the extant continental bodies and then recommends some key interventions to reinforce and better integrate the institutional framework of the AfCFTA with the existing continental and regional frameworks.

Ce mémoire porte sur l’usage particulier des flexibilités du droit des brevets en matière de technologies vertes. Bien que les études empiriques concernant les effets du droit des brevets sur l’innovation en matière de technologies vertes soient peu nombreuses et que les effets du droit des brevets sur l’innovation en général soient incertains, la justification du brevet comme incitatif à l’innovation semble encadrer les réflexions sur l’usage des flexibilités du droit des brevets. Ce constat nous sert de porte d’entrée pour explorer la relation évolutive des justifications et des flexibilités du droit des brevets. Dans un premier temps, nous étudions l’évolution du droit des brevets, en mettant l’accent sur comment il a été justifié et comment les premiers régimes étaient modulés en fonction du contexte social dans lequel ils s’inscrivaient. Dans un second temps, nous observons l’influence de la justification dominante du droit des brevets, soit la fonction d’incitatif à l’innovation, sur l’interprétation des flexibilités prévues dans l’Accord sur les ADPIC et le discours les concernant. Cette étude met en lumière que les mêmes justifications ont fondé des régimes différents, notamment dans l’espace accordé aux flexibilités, et montre que cette place a été restreinte au fil du temps. Nous concluons en avançant que l’étude de l’usage des flexibilités des brevets en matière de technologies vertes reste à ses débuts. Plus d’études empiriques sur le sujet sont nécessaires et celles-ci doivent entrer en dialogue avec les fonctions autres du droit des brevets que celle de l’incitatif à l’innovation.

Exchange platforms listed on European markets: financial contamination? The Luna collapse: present-day exposé. Aògorithmic stablecoins. The Luna project and the Terra ecosystem. Legal framework of a billion-dollar scam. Class action lawsuits. National and European implications of such actions. Misleading advertising (binance's liability) and culpa in eligendo. Exchange platforms listed on European markets: financial contamination? Parallels between shares and cryptocurrency investments: lack of transparency giving rise to bubbles. InvestVoyager case study. FTX case study. Positive law and new horizons. DeFi self-regulation: AML compliance and exchange platforms. The proposal of MiCA regulation (markets in crypto-assets). Payment systems directive 2 (PSD2). Directive 2009/110/EC on e-money. Potential solutions (proposals). External audit of smart contracts: a comprehensive examination-technical and legal perspectives. Digital euro. Establishment of a national or European commission: risks for consumers and comparative research. Regulation of exchanges and enforcement of transparency obligations.

Ce mémoire analyse la place juridique du marchand dans les sociétés camerounaise et québécoise. Le droit a toujours cherché à catalyser les activités des marchands en régulant l’accès à leur profession, en contrôlant leurs activités et en leur imposant de nombreuses obligations. La préoccupation des législateurs québécois et camerounais vis-à-vis de l’entité qu’est le marchand est palpable, les nombreuses lois mises sur pied pour encadrer ce personnage en témoignent. Le droit camerounais et le droit québécois abordent le sujet du marchand de façon différente. Nous verrons que dans l’appellation et dans le régime applicable à cette entité, le législateur québécois et son homologue camerounais se retrouvent la majorité du temps aux antipodes l’un de l’autre, mais il arrive parfois que leurs règles présentent des similitudes. Les nombreuses règles mises en place par les législateurs pour réguler les actions du marchand vont nous amener à examiner l’importance que ce dernier a au sein de la société. Conscients du pouvoir que le marchand peut avoir, les législateurs n’ont-ils pas fixé un grand nombre de règles par peur que ce dernier abuse de ce pouvoir ? Cette interrogation nous mènera au dernier volet de ce mémoire qui consistera à analyser les rapports de forces entre le marchand et les consommateurs premièrement, et entre le marchand et l’État en seconde place. L’intérêt de cette recherche est en premier lieu juridique évidemment. En effet, au cours de notre étude, nous verrons des notions telles que la commercialité et ses éléments constitutifs et nous ouvrirons le débat sur son utilité et sa désuétude. Nous aborderons également le rôle joué par le commerçant dans le processus de globalisation du droit et la création d’un droit post-moderne. En plus d’avoir un intérêt juridique, ce sujet révèle également un intérêt socio-économique car il nous amènera à aborder la notion de « commerçant de fait », une entité apparue à cause de la précarité économique et sociale à laquelle la majorité des pays africains fait face.

يتطلب توحيد قواعد قانون التجارة الدولية جهودا ووسائل معتبرة، الأمر الذي جعل المنظمات الدولية الحكومية هي التي تتكفّل بهذه المهمّة. وتنقسم هذه المنظمات الدولية الحكومية إلى منظمات دولية عالمية، ومنظمات دولية إقليمية. اتبعت هذه الأخيرة أساليب متعددة للتوحيد، من اتفاقيات دولية وقوانين نموذجية وقوانين موحّدة. وأمام تعدّد أساليب التوحيد هذه، يجب اختيار الأسلوب الأكثر ملاءمة لضمان فعّالية عملية التوحيد. لكن، رغم الجهود المبذولة من قبل هذه المنظمات، فإنها لم تصل إلى التوحيد الكلّي لهذه القواعد، وذلك بسبب اختلاف الأنظمة السياسية والاجتماعية للدول، فلم يشمل التوحيد إلاّ بعض مجالات القانون. كما بقيت القواعد الموحدة صعبة التطبيق لاختلاف تفسيرها من جهة، ولقلّة خبرة القضاة والمحكّمين في هذا المجال من جهة أخرى. L'unification des règles du droit du commerce international nécessite des efforts et des moyens considérables, ce pourquoi cette tâche a été confiée aux organisations gouvernementales internationales. Ces organisations intergouvernementales sont divisées en organisations internationales mondiales et organisations internationales régionales.Ces dernières ont suivi de multiples méthodes d’unification, notamment des accords internationaux, des lois types et des lois unifiées.Face à ces multiples méthodes d’unification, il faut choisir la méthode laplus appropriée pour garantir l’efficacité du processus d’unification. Cependant, malgré les efforts déployés par ces organisations, elles ne sont pas parvenues à une unification complète de ces règles, en raison des différences entre les systèmes politiques et sociaux des pays. L'unification n'a porté que sur certains domaines du droit. Les règles unifiées restent également difficiles à appliquer en raison de leurs interprétations différentes d'une part, et du manque d'expérience des juges et des arbitres dans ce domaine, d'autre part.

A cada um dos vários Estados que compõem a comunidade internacional; corresponde um sistema jurídico, económico, político e social único e próprio. É possível identificar semelhanças, mas também diferenças entre cada um deles. O fenómeno da globalização estabelece cada vez mais pontos de ligação entre o panorama jurídico económico dos países que promovem as transações internacionais e que contactam diretamente com as consequências da globalização. Assim, destaca-se a importância do conceito de “multilateralidade” quando nos referimos a contratos e/ou convenções internacionais e do qual a Convenção de Viena (nome pelo qual a CISG é também conhecida), é exemplo e objeto do presente estudo. A presente dissertação junta as áreas do Direito e Economia Internacionais na análise da Convenção da Nações Unidas sobre Contratos para Venda Internacional de Mercadorias (CISG) e do seu impacto nos processos de internacionalização das empresas portuguesas. Tendo a CISG entrado em vigor em Portugal no dia 1 de outubro de 2021, em plena situação pandémica, pretende-se perceber se as empresas portuguesas têm conhecimento deste novo regime jurídico, se o mesmo está a ser aplicado, ou se as empresas optaram por afastar a sua aplicação, ao abrigo da cláusula de opt-out, que a Convenção prevê no seu artigo 6º.

Notre étude consistera à explorer les différents mécanismes à envisager par les locataires pour faire face à leur obligation de paiement des loyers commerciaux pendant la crise, partant bien sûr du droit covid-1911au droit traditionnel ou existant avant ladite crise. Il est à noter ici que les mesures prises par le gouvernement français dans la gestion de la crise n’ont pas eu pour vocation dans la majorité des cas de se substituer au droit existant, tel est le cas du droit des contrats. Les deux régimes étant complémentaires, en absence de réponse de l’un, l’on peut se tourner vers l’autre. Il convient de rappeler également qu’une analyse théorique ou générale du régime du bail commercial ne sera pas nécessaire car l’objectif poursuivi par ce sujet est d’examiner la règlementation législative, jurisprudentielle voire doctrinale en matière de bail commercial pendant la crise sanitaire afin de cerner leurs enjeux sur le paiement des loyers commerciaux.