Unconscionability and Fairness: Comments on Wertheimer

1992 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 498-504
Author(s):  
J. Gregory Dees

Alan Wertheimer's paper on “Unconscionability and Contracts” presents an enlightening discussion of a complex and contentious legal concept. His primary objective is not to contribute to legal scholarship, but to use the law to shed light on the ethics of exchange relationships. Specifically, he wants to “use the doctrine of unconscionability in contracts as a lens through which to get a clearer understanding of exploitation—its essential characteristics and moral force” (p. 480). It is apparent that he sees exploitation (and unconscionability) as closely linked to a more general notion of fairness.

1998 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 554-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross Grantham

THE concept of ownership is a complex, powerful and controversial idea. In law it explains, justifies and gives moral force to a host of rights and duties as well as serving to legitimate the allocation of wealth and privilege. The influence of this idea is, furthermore, everywhere embodied in the law. In company law, legal and economic conceptions have both rested on and have been shaped by the normative implications of ownership. Historically, ownership was the principal explanation and justification for the central role of shareholders in corporate affairs. As owners, shareholders were entitled to control the management of the company and to the exclusive benefit of the company's activities. Ownership also served to legitimate the corporate form itself. So long as it was owned by individuals the economic and political power of the company was both benign and a bulwark against the intrusion of the state.


2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-305
Author(s):  
Paula Giliker

AbstractThe law of tort (or extra or non-contractual liability) has been criticised for being imprecise and lacking coherence. Legal systems have sought to systemise its rules in a number of ways. While civil law systems generally place tort law in a civil code, common law systems have favoured case-law development supported by limited statutory intervention consolidating existing legal rules. In both systems, case law plays a significant role in maintaining the flexibility and adaptability of the law. This article will examine, comparatively, different means of systemising the law of tort, contrasting civil law codification (taking the example of recent French proposals to update the tort provisions of the Code civil) with common law statutory consolidation and case-law intervention (using examples taken from English and Australian law). In examining the degree to which these formal means of systemisation are capable of improving the accessibility, intelligibility, clarity and predictability of the law of tort, it will also address the role played by informal sources, be they ambitious restatements of law or other means. It will be argued that given the nature of tort law, at best, any form of systemisation (be it formal or informal) can only seek to minimise any lack of precision and coherence. However, as this comparative study shows, further steps are needed, both in updating outdated codal provisions and rethinking the type of legal scholarship that might best assist the courts.


Author(s):  
Lucía CASADO CASADO

LABURPENA: Ekonomiako Lankidetza eta Garapenerako Erakundeak eta Europar Batasunak bultzatutako erregulazioa hobetzeko politika gero eta gehiago garatu da Espainian eta 2015ean bultzada esanguratsua jaso du, urriaren 1eko 39/2015 Legea, Herri Administrazioen Administrazio Prozedura Erkideari buruzkoa, onartuta. Lege horrek titulu berria dakar —VI.a— legegintza-ekinbidea eta erregelamenduak eta bestelako xedapenak emateko ahalmena arautzeko. Bertan, legegintza-ekinbidea eta lege mailako arauak egiteko ahala erabiltzeari, erregelamenduak egiteko ahala erabiltzeari, erregulazio onaren printzipioei, araudiaren ebaluazioari, arauen publizitateari, arauen plangintzari eta herritarrek lege mailako arauak eta erregelamenduak egiteko prozeduran parte hartzeari buruzko xedapen batzuk jasotzen dira. Lan horrek arlo horretan 39/2015 Legeak sartutako berritasunak aztertzen ditu, tokiko ikuspegitik, haren xedapenak administrazio publiko guztiei eta, beraz, toki-administrazioei ere, aplikatzen baitzaizkie. Helburu nagusia Legeak tokiko arauak egiteko ahalean daukan eragina aztertzea eta, ondorioz, arlo horretan tokiko eremuan sartzen diren berritasun nagusiak zehaztea da, haren aplikazioak ekar ditzakeen erronka, arazo eta zalantza batzuk ikusteko eta balizko irtenbideak emateko. RESUMEN: La política de mejora de la regulación, impulsada por la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económico y por la Unión Europea, se ha desarrollado en España de forma reciente y ha recibido un impulso significativo en 2015, con la aprobación de la Ley 39/2015, de 1 de octubre, del procedimiento administrativo común de las administraciones públicas. Esta Ley incluye un nuevo Título —el VI—, destinado a regular la iniciativa legislativa y la potestad para dictar reglamentos y otras disposiciones. En él se recogen algunas previsiones sobre el ejercicio de la iniciativa legislativa y la potestad para dictar normas con rango de ley, el ejercicio de la potestad reglamentaria, los principios de buena regulación, la evaluación normativa, la publicidad de las normas, la planificación normativa y la participación de los ciudadanos en el procedimiento de elaboración de normas con rango de ley y reglamentos. Este trabajo se centra en el análisis de las novedades incorporadas en esta materia por la citada Ley 39/2015 desde una perspectiva local, dada la aplicación de sus previsiones a todas las administraciones públicas y, por consiguiente, también a las administraciones locales. El objetivo primordial es analizar la incidencia de esta Ley sobre la potestad normativa local y, en consecuencia, determinar las principales novedades que se incorporan en esta materia en el ámbito local, con el fin de apuntar algunos retos, problemas e incertidumbres que su aplicación puede suscitar y aportar posibles soluciones. ABSTRACT: Policies to improve regulation promoted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the European Union have recently been applied in Spain and in 2015 received a significant boost with the passing of Law 39/2015, of 1 October, on common administrative procedure for the public administrations. This Law includes a new Section (VI) which regulates legislative initiative and the power to create regulations and other provisions. The law contains provisions regarding the execution of legislative initiative and the power to create regulations with the force of laws, the exercising of regulatory power, the principles of good regulation, regulatory evaluation, regulatory publicity, regulatory planning and the participation of citizens in the process of creating legislation with the force of laws and regulations. The present study analyses the changes made to local regulatory powers by the aforementioned Law 39/2015, given that its provisions are applicable to all public administrations and, therefore, also to the local administrations. The primary objective is to analyse the effect of this Law on local regulatory powers and, therefore, to determine the principle new changes that have been made to local regulatory powers, with the aim of identifying the challenges, problems and uncertainties that may arise through the application of the Law and to propose possible solutions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Sadjijono Sadjijono ◽  
Bagus Teguh Santoso

Law No. 30/ 2014 on Government Administration brings the strength and the averment on the performance of the governmental functions which include executive, legislative, and juridical in order to provide the public services (bestuurzorg). Such regulation also aims to prevent and to eliminate any kinds of the maladministration done by the government officials/organs in implementing their functions so that good governance can be realized. In implementing their function, the government should rely on the useful performance (doelmatigheid) and the effectiveness (doeltreffenhgeid) according to the norms of each authority. It is a sophism when the ‘authority’ and/or the ‘competence’ mentioned under the Law No. 30/ 2014 on Government Administration are defined differently in the letterlijk gramatikal wet without associating those terms with an understanding of bevoegheid in an administrative legal concept. An idea that distinctively defines the term ‘competence’ as a right and ‘authority’ as a power is considered as an inconsistent idea, which may cause dualism and distortion in the common law enforcement reffering to the administrative law, particularly related to the concept of the authority abuse of power mentioned under the Law No. 31/ 1999 amended by the Law No. 20/ 2001 on deeds against corruption. As the result, when the notion of ‘authority abuse of power’ is defined as a right (as mentioned in article 1, subsection 5 jo. article 17, Law No. 30/ 2014 on Government Administration), it will be characterized into the absolute competence of the administrative jurisdiction, and when the notion of ‘authority abuse of power’ is defined as a power (as mentioned in article 3, Law No. 31/ 1999 on deeds against corruption), it will be characterized into the absolute competence of the corruption-act jurisdiction. Meanwhile, implementing the government’s ‘competence’ and/or ‘authority’ is characterized into one concept based on the norms of the authority power.


2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (100) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Fernando Rey Martínez

Resumen:A lo largo de los cuarenta años de vigencia de la Constitución de 1978, el tradicional derecho de igualdad se ha visto enriquecido por la emergencia de una nueva rama del ordenamiento jurídico: el Derecho Antidiscriminatorio. En el texto se traza la gramática conceptual de las nuevas categorías y su desarrollo jurisprudencial.El estudio analiza qué significa hoy la igualdad en sentido jurídico preciso, qué comprende la prohibición constitucional de no sufrir discriminación en general y también respecto de la igualdad entre mujeres y hombres, la igualdad étnico/racial, la igualdad de las personas con cualquier tipo de discapacidad o por motivos de orientación e identidad sexuales.Summary:1. Sense and scope of constitutional equality 1.1 Introduction: from the classical concept of equality to new anti-discrimination law. 1.2 The legal concept of equality. 1.3 Equality in (the content) of the law and equality before (or in application) the law. 1.4 «Formal» or «legal» equality and «real» or «opportunity» equality. 1.5 Discrimination by indifferentiation. 2. Equality and prohibition of discrimination in strict sense. 2.1 Equality of Treatment. 2.1.1 Direct discrimination or treatment. 2.1.2 Indirect or impact discrimination. 2.1.3 Discrimination wrong, hidden and by association. 2.1.4 Multiple Discrimination. 2.2 Equal Opportunities: positive actions and positive discrimination. 3. Discrimination by sex / gender 3.1 Situation of the problem and regulatory framework. 3.2 Relevant jurisprudence. 4. Discrimination by ethnicity / race. 5. Discrimination for disability. 6. Discrimination by sexual orientation and identity.Abstract:Throughout the forty years of validity of the 1978 Constitution, the traditional right of equality has been enriched by the emergence of a new branch of the legal system: Anti-Discriminatory Law. The text draws the conceptual grammar of the new categories and their jurisprudential development. The study analyzes what equality means in a precise juridical sense, which includes the constitutional prohibition against discrimination in general and equality between women and men, ethnic / racial equality, equality of persons with any type of disability or for reasons of sexual orientation and identity.


Legal Ukraine ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 30-41
Author(s):  
Volodymyr Klochkov

Each legal concept has not only content (content), but also a form. The form requires compliance with the rules for the definition and construction of concepts. Improving legal terminology is impossible without deep development and observance of the rules of analysis and the precise construction of the conceptual apparatus. Gaps in legislation and regulations are derived from inaccuracy, lack of clarity and simplicity of conceptual constructions. The inconsistency of certain legal norms found in various laws and regulatory legal acts, the inconsistency of norms with the prevailing realities of legal life in the state and society impede the fulfillment by state authorities, including law enforcement, of their functional responsibilities. Mistakes made in the preparation of draft laws and regulations, methodological recommendations mainly boil down to the violation of the requirements of the unified laws of logic: the law of identity, the law of contradiction, the law of the excluded third and the law of sufficient reason. The use of inappropriate terminology causes complications in the application of legal norms. The Constitution of Ukraine assigns to the prosecutor the function of representing the interests of a citizen or state in court in cases specified by law. The term representation is not exactly chosen. The word "representation" means: the performance of the duties of a representative; an institution representing the interests of someone; elections, as well as the law, the procedure for the election of representatives to any bodies; representation is a legal relationship in which one party (representative) is obligated or entitled to make a transaction on behalf of the other party that it represents; representation means activity on behalf of someone, on behalf of a person. By its legal nature, a representative can only be authorized for transactions that the person he represents is entitled to carry out. The representation of the prosecutor's office in court is specific, since this body does not need instructions, contracts or other documents. The prosecutor or his deputy should act not on behalf of someone, but on behalf of the state in favor of the person and citizen, state or society, within the limits established by law. In the legislation there is a conflict (conflict) in the law regarding the term «representation». To eliminate such a conflict, it is necessary to amend the Law of Ukraine «On the Prosecutor's Office». Key words: definition of concepts, laws and regulations, accuracy, clarity, brevity of terms.


2000 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 867
Author(s):  
Sandra Petersson

This article is a book review of Jocelynne A Scutt The Incredible Woman: Power and Sexual Politics (Artemis Publishing, Melbourne, 1997) (vol 1, 336 + xiv pages, $AUS34.95; vol 2, 354 + xvii pages, $AUS34.95). The book is an anthology of scholarship that acts as a catalogue of the wrong standards that the law has applied to women's performances and women's experiences. Petersson stresses the importance of this book for feminist legal scholarship as it increases the volume of such works, increasing the possibility of political change. Scutt's book is praised for being an exemplary voice for raising awareness in this area by making the message clear and accessible. 


This study aims to determine the authority of the notary in a deed on electronic transactions carried out by the parties domiciled outside the office of a notary and to know the power of a notary deed that created by Cyber Notary in Indonesia. The method used in this research is the approach of legislation (The Statute Approach) and the path of the legal concept analysis (Analytical and Conceptual Approach). The results showed that the authority of the electronic notary deed is not bound by a notary office area so that the legal position same with notary office by deed made by the notary on electronic transactions conducted in the region of the notary office. The strength of the notarial deed made by a cyber notary has not yet ensured legal certainty that the power of a notarial deed made together with the strength of the deed under the hand.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Wildhirth

Capital market players are regularly part of a group of companies. The classification of a company as a subsidiary has significant effects on the subsidiary and the parent company. In the law on transparency of shareholdings and takeover law, membership in such a group of companies is decided based on the concept of subsidiary in Section 35 (1) of the German Securities Trading Act (WpHG) and Section 2 (6) of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (WpÜG). These definitions are analysed in depth to shed light on capital market group law. The European foundations as well as the purpose of the regulations are particularly examined. Finally, the results found are verified by analyzing GmbH & Co. KG structures.


Author(s):  
Christine Hayes

This chapter examines sources that shed light on a variety of issues bearing on the question of the flexibility of the divine law of Israel according to the talmudic rabbis. In many of these sources, the Law is seen to be susceptible to change through rational adjustments by humans. The rhetoric surrounding human adjustment of the Law varies. In some passages these adjustments are represented as a kind of natural evolution justified by values and commitments internal to the system. In some passages, however, they are represented as interventions based on values and commitments external to the system, raising important questions about the agency and authority of human beings in a system of divine law. On what grounds do humans modify the Law? How is it that rational modification of the Law and the implied fallibility of the divine lawgiver do not impinge upon the Law's divinity in the eyes of the rabbis?


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