Bibliographie sélective OHADA

This research traces the developments of the directors’ fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the company and looks at how these developments affect human rights and interests of stakeholders. The main focus of the study is on the human rights impact of this duty. Initially, this duty was only regulated in terms of common law which proved to be problematic. The problem with common law lies within the definition of ‘best interests of the company’, which not only exclude the interests of other stakeholders but also has the potential to bring about violation of human rights, particularly the rights to equality, dignity and fair labour practice. At common law best interests of the company means interests of the company itself and its shareholders. The common law only protects the company and its shareholders, while excluding the rights and interests of stakeholders. The common law duty to in the best interests of the company is not in line with our contemporary law because it ignores human rights. The neglect of human rights by this duty renders it inconsistent with the values contained in the Constitution. Furthermore, the exclusion of stakeholders’ rights by this duty cannot be justified because stakeholders play an important part in safeguarding the stability and continued existence of the companies. The fiduciary duty to act in company’s best interests is now contained in the Companies Act of 2008. Inclusion of this duty in the Act enables our courts to interpret it in a manner that protects human rights and which takes into account interests of other stakeholders. Section 7 (a) of the Act provides that among other goals of the Act is the promotion of compliance with the Bill of Rights when applying the company law. The impact of section 7 is that it imposes an indirect duty on directors to consider the human rights impact of their decisions. Section 158 of the Act enables the courts to “develop common law as it is necessary to improve the realisation and enjoyment of rights established by the Companies Act of 2008.” Given this recognition of the Bill of Rights by the Companies Act, it’s of vital importance that our courts should interpret and apply the duty to act in the best interests of the company in manner that is consistent with the Constitution. Directors are now obliged to pay attention to the human rights impact of their decisions.

À l’image de certains pays d’Afrique noire, le secteur minier est devenu au Cameroun, le cadre d’une activité économique majeure. À l’origine de ce ‘boom minier’, la richesse du sous-sol. En effet, le pays regorge de gisements miniers d’importance mondiale.¹ On y dénombre une grande variété allant du manganèse, du diamant, de l’or, au cobalt etc.² Ajoutée à cette carte minière attrayante, des réformes entreprises par le législateur minier et soutenues par des donateurs, en l’occurrence les institutions de Bretton Woods au secours des économies sinistrées. En effet, pour relancer l’activité économique sinistrée dans les années 90, le sous-sol se

The underlying significance of instituting measures for effective corporate governance and rewarding resource management outcomes cannot be relegated. The countries and organizations that deemphasize this practice have mortgaged their potential for long-term growth and corporate sustainability. This paper adopts a critical narrative method to deconstruct the essence of corporate governance and economic resource management ideals. The paper furthers the ongoing conversations on two interrelated business concepts, and provides an apt perspective towards unlocking the essence of corporate governance relative to the Nigeria’s corporate environment. It depicts a corporate paradigm shift that accommodates the dynamics of global best practices taking into account some peculiarities of Nigeria’s corporate climate. The paper also captures relevant theoretical dimensions and pragmatic policy propositions, especially for underperforming socio-economic contexts. In the light of the central theme, specific issues are discussed under the sub-headings of conceptual and theoretical clarifications, corporate governance and resource management in Nigeria, shifting the paradigms, conclusion and recommendations.

Abstract available in pdf.

Modern electronic commerce is chiefly characterised by the use of unattended computers in the negotiation and conclusion of agreements. Commonly referred to as "electronic agents," these computers assist their users to negotiate better and profitable deals in virtual marketplaces. In South Africa, the legal force and effect of automated transactions, i.e. agreements concluded by electronic agents, is addressed in section 20 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 25 of 2002 (hereinafter referred to as the ECT Act). According to section 20 (a) of the ECT Act, a valid and enforceable agreement will be formed where an electronic agent performs an action required by law for agreement formation. The same statute provides further in section 20 (b) that a valid and enforceable agreement will be formed where all the parties to a transaction or either one of them uses an electronic agent. The overall effect of these provisions is that an agreement cannot be denied legal validity and enforceability on the ground that an electronic agent was used, whether by one or both parties, to conclude it. Likewise, an agreement cannot be denied legal validity and enforceability on the ground that no human being took part in its formation. Although the ECT Act provides as a general matter that automated transactions are valid and enforceable in South Africa, that statute does not, however, create new rules for the formation of such agreements. This is made clear in section 3, which provides, amongst others, that the ECT Act should not be interpreted to exclude the application of the common law of contract to electronic transactions. Therefore, as with traditional or non-automated agreements, automated transactions too must satisfy the individual requirements of a valid contract at common law. As a matter of fact, the common law theory of contract formation is predominantly based on the assumption that human volition will always play a pivotal role in the making, acceptance or rejection of offers. For that reason, this research proceeds on a strong hypothesis that common law rules and principles pertaining to the formation of agreements are either insufficient or inadequate to accommodate the validity of agreements concluded by computers without the immediate intervention of their users. Consequently, the aim of this research is to discuss how the rules and principles of the common law of contract can be modified or developed in order to accommodate, within the common law theory of contract formation, the statutory validity of automated transactions in South Africa. The discussion of this research is limited to five legal issues, namely the basis of contractual liability in automated transactions, the analysis of offer and acceptance in automated transactions, the time and place of contract formation in automated transactions, the incorporation of standard terms and conditions in automated transactions, and the treatment of mistakes and errors in automated transactions. These issues are discussed first with reference to South African law, primarily with the purpose of determining the extent to which relevant common law rules and principles provide adequate solutions to specific challenges posed by automated transactions. To the extent that relevant common law rules and principles do not provide adequate solutions to the challenges of automated transactions, recommendations are made in this research for their development or modification. As shall be demonstrated in the course of this work, in relation to some of the abovementioned legal issues, the development or modification of common law rules has been done by the ECT Act. These "statutory developments or modifications of the common law" are also discussed in this work, primarily with the aim of determining the extent to which they provide adequate solutions to specific challenges posed by automated transactions. To the extent that these statutory modifications of the common law do not provide adequate solutions to the challenges of automated transactions, recommendations are made in this work on how the relevant provisions of the ECT Act may be interpreted by courts of law or amended by Parliament in order to strengthen the response of that statute. The abovementioned legal issues are also discussed in this work with reference to US and UK law, primarily with the purpose of determining how the law addresses the challenges of automated transactions in these jurisdictions, and to draw valuable lessons for the development or modification of South African contract law.

This dissertation explores the concepts of non-disclosure and misrepresentation in South African law. The principal focus surrounds the effect non-disclosure as a form of misrepresentation has on the liability of contracting parties. In order to explore this effectively, the study explores the concept of duty of disclosure, and whether such a duty exists in South African law. Instances when a duty to disclose arises are explained, such as positive steps taken to conceal facts, the seller having sole knowledge of the material fact, an omission or misleading language, and a change in circumstances. Similarly to the English law duty of disclosure in relation to information in contracts uberrimae fidei, the similar South African law concept in insurance or agency contracts known as ‘utmost good faith’, is discussed and explored. The study determines whether such a concept should be a mandatory requirement in pre-contractual negotiations. Additionally, this study explores the various avenues of relief that are available to those who have fallen victim to misrepresentation. This results in an analysis of the effectiveness and success of the current traditional methods of claiming and quantifying damages that are adopted by South African legislature and the judiciary. The discussion then explores the proposed alternate method which aims to combine a claim into one of delict and that of contractual liability, or on the other hand institute a claim solely based on contractual liability. Lastly, this study explores the effect the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008 has had on contractual agreements, remedies and penalties, and how this ground-breaking legislation has altered the approach previously adopted by the common law and whether it has done enough to protect consumers.