Bibliographie sélective OHADA

La liberté contractuelle est un principe fondateur du droit civil français, en vertu duquel chaque sujet de droit est libre, non seulement de décider de s’engager ou non, mais également de déterminer les conditions de son engagement contractuel et la personnalité de son cocontractant. Malgré ses apparentes particularités, dues à son objet, le droit des marchés financiers ne constitue pas une branche autonome du droit, de telle sorte que le droit civil a toute vocation à s’appliquer sur les marchés financiers. Pour autant, un rapide examen du droit des marchés financiers fait apparaître des atteintes à la liberté contractuelle, en premier lieu à la libre détermination du contenu du contrat. Ce constat est d’autant plus frappant lorsque l’on approfondit l’étude des marchés financiers, les offres publiques étant en effet l’occasion de multiples atteintes. Plus particulièrement, l’initiative contractuelle est lourdement affectée par les offres publiques obligatoires, qu’elles soient d’acquisition ou de retrait. Cette thèse a pour objet d’examiner ces diverses atteintes portées par le droit des marchés financiers à la liberté contractuelle afin d’en déterminer le fondement.

L'objectif de ce travail est d'analyser les différentes formes de pratiques de l'économie sociale et solidaire qui permettent aux femmes africaines d'aller au delà de leur vulnérabilité. Ces activités génératrices de revenus entraînent à la fois une augmentation de l'empowerment individuel et collectif des femmes ainsi que le développement de leurs communautés. Les femmes africaines sont des agents incontournables du changement par le biais des actions individuelles, mais surtout, collectives. En Afrique comme dans les différents pays du sud, les associations féminines constituent non seulement un lieu pour les femmes pour acquérir une certaine autonomie économique mais un véritable espace de liberté et d'échange qui permettent aux femmes de sortir de l'isolement, d'avoir de nouvelles compétences, d'avoir plus d'estime et confiance en soi en tant qu'un individu à part entière au même titre qu'un homme dans des sociétés à dominance patriarcale. C'est à travers ces activités que les femmes confirment leur rôle, affirment leur statut social et renforcent toute leur féminité en terme d'avoir, d'être et surtout de paraître. Les groupements féminins avec des degrés différents, ont acquis un certain succès. L'impact positif de la participation des femmes dans ces groupements permet de penser que l'empowerment individuel ou collectif des femmes pauvres est possible en optant pour des solutions alternatives basées sur des pratiques et actions collectives qui permettent d'acquérir plus de capacités et de liberté. Dans ce sens, l'approche des capacités de Sen est pertinente dans la mesure où elle renforce le poids des activités féminines issue de l'économie sociale et solidaire, permettant ainsi de renforcer les gains en terme d'empowerment.La principale fonction des groupements économiques féminins est de permettre aux femmes membres de pouvoir subvenir à leurs besoins par une mobilisation et une redistribution des ressources et par conséquent sortir de la précarité. Ces femmes qui s'activent dans les groupements et qui sont souvent responsables de famille, cherchent les moyens surtout financiers de pouvoir s'acquitter de leurs obligations familiales et sociales. A travers notre travail, nous avons relevé d'autres gains pour les femmes sur le plan individuel et collectif qui sont aussi importants et moins quantifiables. Le contexte de crise et de précarité confère aux activités féminines un rôle social très important surtout dans les pays du sud, où la féminisation de la pauvreté est importante. The objectives of this work are to analyse different practices of social and solidarity economy that enable African women to move beyond vulnerability. Income generating activities involve both an increase in individual and collective empowerment of women, and in addition - further development of their communities. African women are key agents of change through individual actions, but most of all - though collective once. In Africa, as well as in various countries of the South, female organisations are not only a place for women to gain some economic independence, but a genuine areas of freedom and exchange, that allow them to come out of isolation, to learn new skills, and to have more esteem and self-confidence as individuals in their own rights alongside the men in a patriarchal societies. It is through these activities that women strengthen their role, their social status, and reinforce their femininity and presence Women's organisations, in different degree, manage to gain some success. The positive impact of women's participation in these groups suggests that the individual or collective empowerment of poor women is possible by opting for alternative solutions based on practical and collective actions that develop more capacity and greater freedom. In this sense, Sen's capability approach is relevant to the extent, that it reinforces the importance of women's activities within the social economy, thereby strengthening the gains in terms of empowerment. The main function of female economic organisations is to enable women members to be able to support themselves through mobilisation and redistribution of resources and therefore help them out of poverty. These women who are active in organisations and are often responsible for the family, often seek most financial means to meet their family and social obligations. Through our work, we have identified further significant gains for women as individuals, as well as in a collective, but these gains are less quantifiable. The context of crisis and insecurity gives women's activities a very important social role especially in the South, where the feminisation of poverty is important.

Dans le cadre de l’internationalisation puis de la mondialisation de la sphère économique et financière, les paradis fiscaux se sont développés tout au long du XXe siècle. Emergent à l’abri de la cage de l’Etat-Nation, ce phénomène de déconnexion de la sphère résidente de la sphère d’activité économique effective, a donné lieu à l’émergence de centres offshore, de manière embryonnaire durant la première moitié du XXe siècle, puis à une échelle industrielle sur l’ensemble des secteurs de l’activité économique à partir des années 1950. Les observateurs et les acteurs politiques des pays industrialisés se sont progressivement saisi du sujet dans le cadre de l’appréhension des effets dommageables de la concurrence fiscale internationale. Les difficultés rencontrées dans la lutte engagée à différentes échelles contre ces territoires traduisent l’ambiguïté des relations qu’entretiennent les grands pays industrialisés avec la sphère offshore.

L’imposition sur le revenu en République de Guinée héritée du système fiscal français, constitue l’un des éléments importants de la structure fiscale guinéenne. Mais paradoxalement, cette imposition, par rapport à la TVA, reste de nos jours très peu rentable au budget de l’Etat. Or, le potentiel fiscal autant vaste, prenant en compte les revenus provenant des activités commerciales, industrielles, artisanales, agricoles, professionnelles, etc., réalisées par les contribuables y existe ; mais non encore « judicieusement exploité ». En effet, parler d’imposition sur le revenu revient à se pencher aussitôt sur les deux dimensions fondamentales qui sous-tendent cette notion : l’impôt sur le revenu (IR) des particuliers et l’impôt sur le revenu des entreprises ou sociétés dont les enjeux contributifs caractérisant véritablement la problématique de cette imposition s’enchevêtre dans une série de réalités complexes d’ordres politique, socio-économique, environnemental, juridique, etc., différentes d’un pays à un autre et d’une communauté à une autre.Le but ultime visé par cette thèse est de faire un constat diagnostic pertinent afin de retracer les causes et les effets de la faible part de l’imposition sur le revenu dans les recettes fiscales intérieures et de proposer des solutions efficaces en vue d’améliorer la rentabilité de l’IR et de l’impôt sur les bénéfices des sociétés qui impacterait tant soit peu la performance des services du fisc, du budget de l’Etat, de l’économie nationale et du système fiscal en République de Guinée.

La préservation de la bonne santé du secteur bancaire a toujours été au cœur des préoccupations de la profession bancaire mondiale. La lutte contre le blanchiment des capitaux constitue un moyen pour les banquiers de préserver cette santé. En effet, les banques camerounaises et françaises bien qu’assujetties à la lutte contre le blanchiment des capitaux, ont plus d’un intérêt à mettre en œuvre le dispositif préventif anti-blanchiment. D’une part, au niveau organisationnel, les banques camerounaises et françaises se sont dotées d’un service anti-blanchiment et de dispositifs informatiques qui veillent à stopper leur utilisation à des fins de blanchiment de capitaux. Au plan fonctionnel, les obligations de vigilance imposées aux banques au titre de la lutte contre le blanchiment des capitaux rejoignent et renforcent les règles bancaires déjà instaurées en vue d’une saine pratique des activités bancaires. Cependant, le dispositif préventif anti-blanchiment n’a pas été bien accueilli au sein de la profession bancaire. Pour cause, celui-ci s’attaquait à des principes chers à la profession bancaire notamment, le secret bancaire et le devoir de non-ingérence. De même, la mise en œuvre du dispositif a fait naître de nouvelles obligations dont la violation fait l’objet de sanctions.

Sous l’effet de des phénomènes de mutations dans les sociétés, on a assiste à une floraison de nouvelles activités ou de nouveaux instruments financiers. Concomitamment à cette prolifération de nouveaux produits ou techniques financières ; il est tout aussi apparu nécessaire d’adapter le secteur bancaire et financier de certains pays africains aux évolutions liées principalement aux nouveaux besoins de financement de leur économie nationale, à l’ouverture sur l’extérieur et aux opérations internationales et à l’introduction de l’innovation financière et technologique… Ceci est le cas pour le Maroc.

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

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

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

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

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

This thesis identifies and defines the new African sovereignty. It establishes a modern sovereignty in Africa hatched from the changing nature of sovereignty in which countries come together at various levels or grades of partial surrender of national sovereignty in order to work closer together for their mutual advantage and benefit. To this end, the narrative zooms in on the central issues within the realms of money matters whereby a new model of monetary sovereignty and monetary solutions is designed in an attempt to ease the recurring tensions and challenges of modern national sovereignty in the continent of Africa. As such, this discussion will offer a historical journey through the constitution of sovereignty, to the birth of the nation state and international public law. It develops the theory of the changing nature of sovereignty within the modern state and opens new lines of inquiry for Africa. In this regard, it draws from juxtaposing and mixing elements of regional and global financial integration as well as retaining national financial sovereignty features to form this new design which I dub continental sovereignty. At its core, the thesis will deal with the legal aspects that stem from the co-mingling of legal systems of nation states and communities at the regional and global levels within the context of financial integration. The argument is that the rule of law remains sacrosanct in monetary management. Effective financial integration is the result of properly structured and managed legal frameworks with robust laws and institutions whether at a national, regional or global level. However, the thesis reveals that in order to avoid undermining the progress of Africa’s financial integration project, any solution for Africa must be immersed within a broader global solution where development issues are addressed and resolved and Africa can form a more central part in all relevant international discussion fora. The work will expound these issues by applying them within a regional and global context, with the state of affairs in Africa forming the nucleus. This application consequently presents the six key themes of the thesis which will be considered therein. They are: a.) regional advantage: which exploits the possibilities of deeper and further financial integration between smaller communal arrangements; b.) regional risk and exposure: the extent to which this deeper form of financial integration can spiral out of control if effected too quickly and too ambitiously; c.) global advantage: which considers the merits of global financial integration and the influence exerted by financial laws on the global financial architecture; d.) global risk and exposure: which considers the challenges of global financial integration especially within the background of the Global Financial Crisis 2007-2008; e.) African challenge: which considers the extent to which this analysis impacts the African economic and financial integration agenda; and f.) development challenge: which examines the extent to which global development issues impact the African solution (continental sovereignty) and the need for any solution for the continent to be roped into a broader global solution within which Africa can form an important part. Even though the thesis requests an optimistic undertone on the progress made so far, it unearths the African problem of multiple national sovereignty and multiple overlapping regional sovereignty constituted as the ‘spaghetti bowl’ dilemma. As such, the unique contribution to knowledge on financial integration in Africa can be echoed in these words: Africa‘s financial integration agenda has had little success in authenticating a systematic and dependable legal framework for monetary management. Efforts made have been incomplete, substandard, and not carefully followed through particularly reflected in the impuissant nature of the judicial enforcement mechanisms. Thus, the thesis argues that, any meaningful answer to the problems dogging the continent is inter alia deeply entrenched within a new form of cooperative monetary sovereignty. In other words, the thesis does not prescribe the creation of new laws; rather it advocates the effective enforcement of existing laws.

The basic goal of Accounting is to provide enabling accounting information for reliable decision-making. The quality level of this accounting information comes from the company's governance practices, thereby emphasizing the importance of corporate governance in companies. Recently, following the financial crises resulting in accounting scandals, attention has been moving towards Internal Audit Function as an important factor in the structure of Corporate Governance. This paper therefore examined the extent of the relationship between internal audit function and the quality of accounting information of companies. The study adopted the Survey research design. The research instrument employed was Questionnaire which was administered to internal auditors of the “Big Four”. Linear regression analysis was employed in the analysis of the data collected with the use of Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results revealed that there is a significant relationship between the internal audit characteristics and the quality of accounting information. It was recommended that in order to provide credibility to the financial statement, there should be a law in place mandating attachment of internal auditors report to the financial statement

The objective of this thesis is to critically analyse synthetic securitisation schemes in South African law as synthetic collateralised debt obligations using primarily credit default swaps (CDSs). This transpires from the perspective of primarily company law, and secondarily securities law and the law of contract. It includes a contextualised study of these schemes with regards to their origins, their significance regarding the recent financial crisis, and their rationales micro-economic influence and Basel capital requirements. Not only are the participants, such as parties acting in a primary role and secondary role and special-purpose institutions, studied, but also the obligations between these parties, such as the CDS contract, and the meaning of commercial paper, the legal nature of credit-linked notes, the business of a bank, and the influence of recent case law. It also includes a consideration of synthetic securitisation schemes in terms of the Collective Investment Schemes Control Act 45 of 2002. Furthermore, the role of systemic risk and moral hazard is explained, as well as the interaction between synthetic securitisation schemes, credit rating agencies and the function of risk management. The CDS is compared with insurance contracts, and a discussion of the 2014 International Swaps and Derivatives Association Credit Derivative Definitions is incorporated. For legal comparison, the South African model is compared with Canadian law and its unfunded credit derivatives in the light of recent regulation, and compared to German law and its prevalence of funded credit derivatives. Finally, suggestions are made as to the future of synthetic securitisation schemes.

La finance islamique connaît depuis trois décennies une croissance soutenue. La problématique de recherche consiste à vérifier si l’existence de normes de comptabilité financière spécifiques aux institutions financières islamiques peut être un obstacle à l’objectif d’harmonisation comptable internationale entrepris depuis une quarantaine d’années avec la création de l’IASC. Une première phase de recherche normative suggère que les valeurs comptables issues d’une morale « islamique » seraient incompatibles avec les valeurs comptables portées par les normes internationales d’information financière (IAS/IFRS). Cependant, une deuxième phase descriptive et comparative confirme la convergence des normes comptables islamiques (IFAS) vers les IAS/IFRS illustrant un comportement « schizophrénique » du normalisateur comptable islamique (AAOIFI). En effet, cet organisme érige des normes conformes à la jurisprudence islamique pour les règles comptables de présentation mais qui convergent vers les IAS/IFRS pour les règles d’évaluation, mettant, alors, en relief la fonction « communication relationnelle » des données comptables. Afin d’étudier les facteurs de cette convergence, nous adoptons, dans une troisième phase explicative, une double approche théorique (Sociologie néo-institutionnelle et théorie de la dichotomie sacré-profane) et nous réalisons des entretiens avec les membres de deux comités opérationnels de l’AAOIFI : le comité Charia et le comité comptable (AASB). Ainsi, la convergence comptable s’expliquerait par le mimétisme des banques islamiques et de l’AAOIFI qui adoptent les mêmes réflexions et comportements que les banques classiques et le normalisateur comptable international (IASB). De même, des « luttes professionnelles » entre les deux comités opérationnels de l’AAOIFI aboutissent à la domination des membres du comité comptable plus influencés par une « culture IFRS » orientant, alors, certains choix de normalisation vers un renforcement de la convergence des IFAS vers les IAS-IFRS. De ce fait, des conflits entre « juridictions » professionnelles aux frontières mal définies permettent l’établissement d’une échelle de pouvoir et facilitent l’agissement d’effets mimétiques, coercitifs et normatifs. Islamic finance has grown steadily for three decades now. The research question consists inchecking whether the existence of specific standards of financial accounting for Islamicfinancial institutions can be a hindrance to the goal of international accounting harmonization undertaken over the last forty years with the creation of the IASC. A first normative phase of research suggests that accounting values resulting from Islamic moral are incompatible with the accounting values of International Financial Reporting Standards (IAS / IFRS). However, a second descriptive and comparative phase confirms the convergence of Islamic Financial Accounting Standards (IFAS) to IAS / IFRS illustrating a "schizophrenic" behavior of the Islamic accounting standard-setting body (AAOIFI). Indeed, this organization sets up standards in compliance with Islamic jurisprudence for accounting presentation rules but that are converged with IAS / IFRS for valuation rules, while highlighting the "relational communication" of accounting data. To study the factors of this convergence, we take in a third explanatory phase, a dual theoretical approach (neo-institutional sociology and theory of sacred-profane dichotomy) and perform some interviews with members of two operational committees of AAOIFI: the Shariah Board and the Accounting Board (AASB). Thus, the accounting convergence is explained by the mimicry of Islamic banks and Islamic accounting standard-setting body that adopt the same thoughts and behaviors than conventional banks and the International Financial Accounting Standards Board (IASB). Similarly, "professional struggles" between the two operational committees of AAOIFI lead to the domination of the accounting committee members that are more influenced by an "IFRS culture" while directing some decisions of standard-setting process towards greater convergence of IFAS to the IASIFRS.Thus, conflicts between professional jurisdictions with ill-defined borders allow theestablishment of a scale of power and facilitate the conduct of mimetic, coercive andnormative isomorphism.

Trusts are used for a variety of purposes, both in South Africa and abroad. Like so many other entities, trusts often do not function only in one jurisdiction and may therefore be exposed to international double taxation. South Africa, like most other states, enters into bi-lateral double taxation treaties, to limit the effects of international double taxation. Most of these treaties are based on the OECD Model Tax Convention on Income and on Capital (the OECD MTC). The South African trust is a unique creature. It is not based on the dual ownership concept on which most common law trusts are based, yet, it is not a juristic person either. The question that this research aims to address is how South Africa will interpret and apply certain provisions of the OECD MTC to trusts. Although the South African position is investigated, it is compared to the positions of the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands. The dissertation starts with an analysis of the trust law in each of the relevant states, followed by an overview of the taxation regime governing trusts (and the parties thereto) in each state. The status of double taxation treaties and their interpretation are examined before certain critical provisions of the OECD MTC are analysed to determine how South Africa will apply these provisions to trusts. Hence it is explored whether a trust will be regarded as a person, whether it may be a resident and a beneficial owner for purposes of the OECD MTC. Furthermore, possible solutions for conflicts of attribution in the application of double tax conventions to trusts are investigated. The dissertation concludes that South Africa will regard a trust as a person for purposes of the OECD MTC. Moreover, some types of trusts may be viewed as residents and as beneficial owners for purposes of the OECD MTC. The solution proposed in the OECD’s Partnership Report should be applied to resolve conflicts of attribution involving trusts.

De création récente, la législation sur le surendettement a toujours eu pour ambition de prévenir et de traiter les situations de surendettement des particuliers. Présenté à son origine comme le droit « de ne pas payer ses dettes », le droit du surendettement a été intégré au Code de la consommation. Essentiellement envisagées comme la conséquence d’une consommation s’exerçant à crédit, les mesures préventives ont, de ce fait, été développées dans le cadre des règles de formation et d’exécution des contrats de crédit et de cautionnement. Face aux insuffisances de cette réglementation préventive, le droit commun des obligations est, à son tour, venu édicter des règles en vue de pallier les lacunes des mesures légales. Malgré les bénéfices apportés par la jurisprudence, l’efficacité de la prévention reste toutefois relative. En effet, tant la difficile conciliation des sources préventives que l’approche restrictive qui est envisagée du phénomène, mettent un frein à l’élaboration d’une prévention efficace. C’est au travers des règles de procédure de traitement du surendettement mais également, dans la redéfinition des notions d’endettement et de la personne vulnérable face au risque de surendettement, que les réponses à une prévention plus efficiente apparaissent. Recently created the overindebtedness legislation has always aimed to prevent and cure individual indebtedness situations. To his origin as the “right not to pay its debts” the indebtedness law has been integrated into the French consumer Code. Essentially seen as a consequence of consumption exerted on credit, preventive measures have been developed in the framework of the rules of formation and execution of credit agreements and surety. Given the inadequacies of this preventive legislation, the common law of contract is, in turn, came to make rules for any shortcomings of legal action. Despite the benefits of the law, the effectiveness of prevention, however, is relative. Indeed, as the difficulty of reconciling preventive sources that the restrictive approach proposed of the phenomenon, have no benefit on the development of effective prevention. It is through procedural overindebtedness rules but also in redefining the concepts of debt and the vulnerable person to the risk of debt distress, that the answers to more efficient prevention appear.

La France et la Côte d’Ivoire sont deux États qui présentent des similitudes dues principalement à leur passé colonial commun ; mais il s’agit également de deux États qui présentent de nombreuses différences tenant notamment à leur niveau de développement. Si les règles de droit fiscal substantiel au sein de chacun de ces deux États permettent d’étudier les exigences de sécurité juridique et les moyens par lesquels elles sont prises en compte, c’est en réalité la pratique processuelle qui révèle de manière plus substantielle l’effectivité de cette prise en compte. Au demeurant, la problématique de la sécurité juridique n’est bien souvent réduite qu’aux seules exigences d’accessibilité, de stabilité ou de prévisibilité de la norme. Ce qui témoigne au fond d’une approche partielle de l’exigence de sécurité juridique tendant à en limiter l’étude à la qualité formelle et à l’évolution temporelle des actes juridiques. La prise en compte d’une pluralité de systèmes juridiques différents révèle cependant que la notion de sécurité juridique ne ramène pas nécessairement à un contenu univoque. En effet, l’insécurité juridique ne s’exprimant pas toujours en des termes identiques d’un cadre juridique à un autre, la sécurité juridique pourrait se révéler polysémique, voire antinomique, d’un système juridique et fiscal à un autre. Ainsi donc, au-delà de la norme, la sécurité juridique s’applique également au cadre et au système juridique ainsi qu’à la pratique juridique et juridictionnelle. La sécurité juridique apparaît donc, en droit fiscal, comme l’expression de la fiabilité d’un cadre et d’un système juridiques et fiscaux, à travers des normes de qualité offrant une garantie d’accessibilité et d’intelligibilité ainsi que des moyens pour le contribuable de bâtir des prévisions ou donner satisfaction à celles légitimement bâties. En outre, au-delà du cadre imposé par la présente thèse, il convient d’aborder la problématique de la sécurité juridique dans une approche moins restrictive, afin de ne point en occulter les aspects historiques, philosophiques, sociologiques et juridiques essentiels à une étude d’ensemble de la question. France and Côte d'Ivoire are two countries with similarities mainly due to their common colonial past; but they are also two countries with many differences especially due to their level of development. While the rules of substantive tax law within each of these two countries make it possible to study the requirements of legal certainty and the means whereby they are taken into account, it is actually the procedural practice that reveals more substantively the effectiveness of this consideration. It should also be noted that the issue of legal certainty is often reduced to the only requirements of accessibility, stability or predictability of the standard. This actually reflects a partial approach to the requirements of legal certainty that tends to limit its study to the formal quality and the temporal evolution of legal acts. Taking into account a plurality of different legal systems, however, reveals that the concept of legal certainty does not necessarily lead to an unequivocal content. Indeed, since legal certainty is not always expressed in identical terms from one legal framework to another, legal certainty could prove to be polysemic, or even antinomic, from one legal and fiscal system to another. Thus, beyond the norm, legal certainty also applies to the legal framework and system as well as to the legal and judicial practice. Legal certainty thus, appears in tax law, as an expression of the reliability of a legal and fiscal framework and system, through quality standards, offering a guarantee of accessibility and intelligibility, as well as means for the taxpayer to build predictions or satisfy those legitimately built. Moreover, beyond the framework imposed by the present dissertation, it is important to deal with the problem of legal certainty in a less restrictive way, so as not to obscure the historical, philosophical, sociological and legal aspects essential to a holistic study of the issue.

This contribution focuses on the development of bank resolution regimes as a credible antidote to the ‘too big to fail' problem. The main objective of the analysis is to demonstrate the repercussions and challenges resulting from the implementation of bank resolution schemes on a cross-border level. This work is a selective survey of specific legal questions, which remain relatively unaddressed by academic literature and international standard-setting bodies (e.g. bank resolution triggers or safeguards for bank creditors under bank resolution) or still problematic (e.g. resolution planning or cooperation and information exchange between resolution authorities), in particular when applied in a cross-border context. The author aims to shed more light to the complexities of cross-border bank resolution while trying to answer to the fundamental question: have we ended the ‘too big to fail' problem?