Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.1 Africa: Coordinated by Jan L Neels and Eesa A Fredericks, 12 Democratic Republic of the Congo: Congolese Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monsenepwo Justin
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Democratic Republic ◽  
Civil Code ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
Choice Of Law ◽  
Conflict Of Laws ◽  
Republic Of The Congo ◽  
The Hague ◽  
Code Book

This chapter highlights Congolese perspectives on the Hague Principles. It first outlines the sources of private international law for international commercial contracts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Until July of 2016, Articles 8–15 of the Decree of May 4, 1895 (Title II of the Civil Code Book I) constituted the most relevant national source of private international law. As of January of 2019, there is no plan from the Congolese authorities for the adoption of new conflict of laws provisions after the repeal of Title II of the Congolese Civil Code I. If new rules of private international law were developed and adopted, the Hague Principles could theoretically play an important part in providing the Congolese lawmakers with apt rules on choice of law in international commercial contracts. However, since most Congolese lawmakers, judges, and legal advisors do not know the Hague Principles yet, their use for the development of new statutes is practically unlikely. Hence, it is important to widely diffuse the Hague Principles in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.2 Asia: Coordinated by Yuko Nishitani and Béligh Elbalti, 34 Qatar: Qatari Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elrifai Silke Noa
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Civil Code ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
Federal Law ◽  
Conflict Of Laws ◽  
Law System ◽  
Financial Centre ◽  
The Hague ◽  
Legal Frameworks

This chapter addresses Qatari perspectives on the Hague Principles. The State of Qatar has two legal frameworks: the onshore civil law system and the offshore common law-based the Qatar Financial Centre, established in 2005 and not covered in this chapter. In onshore Qatar, private international law is codified in Articles 10–38 of Subchapter 3 (conflict of laws in space) of Chapter 1 of the Qatar Civil Code (Federal Law No 22 of 2004). In comparison to its European counterparts, the Qatari private international law codification contains significant gaps. Though only promulgated in 2004, Articles 10–38 are near copies of the conflict of law rules contained in the Egyptian Civil Code of 1949, with a few differences. In accordance with Article 34 Civil Code, ‘the [general] principles of private international law’ shall apply in the case of a conflict of laws absent any statutory provision. The provision opens the doors for Qatari courts to refer to the Hague Principles.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.1 Africa: Coordinated by Jan L Neels and Eesa A Fredericks, 15 Mauritius: Mauritian Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cupido Robin
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Civil Code ◽  
Law Reform ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
Commercial Law ◽  
Conflict Of Laws ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Hague

This chapter discusses Mauritian perspectives on the Hague Principles. The Code Civile Mauricien (Mauritian Civil Code) governs most private and commercial law matters and is thus one of the main sources of Mauritian law. Another main source is the Constitution of Mauritius 1968. It is important to note that there is no constitutional imperative for courts to consider international law when interpreting legislation, which could be a contributing factor to the lack of development of a cohesive private international law regime in Mauritius. The Law Reform Commission of Mauritius has thus been reviewing the status of private international law in Mauritius over the past five years and has issued several reports and studies on the matter. The chapter then investigates the extent to which Mauritian private international law already reflects the content of the Hague Principles and how this set of principles could influence the future development of the conflict of laws in Mauritius.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.1 Africa: Coordinated by Jan L Neels and Eesa A Fredericks, 13 Egypt: Egyptian Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Badr Yehya Ikram
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Civil Code ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
Conflict Of Laws ◽  
Party Autonomy ◽  
Applicable Law ◽  
Transfer Of Technology ◽  
The Hague ◽  
Egyptian Government ◽  
Made In

This chapter presents Egyptian perspectives on the Hague Principles. The Egyptian private international law rules for international commercial contracts are found mainly in the Egyptian Civil Code no 131/1948 and the Egyptian Arbitration Code no 27/1994. Egyptian private international law, in general, accepts party autonomy as a private international law rule for determining the applicable law to international contracts. However, the Egyptian legislature has decided to exclude certain contracts, such as contracts for the transfer of technology and commercial agency, from the private international law rule in respect of party autonomy. To date, the Egyptian government has not expressed any plans to revise Egyptian private international law, despite some Egyptian scholars believing that the Egyptian conflicts rules are outdated and in desperate need of being replaced with more modern rules in this regard. Nonetheless, Article 24 of the Egyptian Civil Code allows the Egyptian Courts to resort to ‘[t]he principles of private international law [which] apply in the case of conflict of laws for which no provision is made in the preceding articles’. In principle, the courts are therefore allowed to refer to the Hague Principles to supplement either Article 19 of the Egyptian Civil Code or Article 39 of the Egyptian Arbitration Code.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.1 Africa: Coordinated by Jan L Neels and Eesa A Fredericks, 10 Angola and Mozambique: Angolan and Mozambican Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dias Rui ◽  
Nordmeier Carl Friedrich
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Civil Procedure ◽  
Civil Code ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
Choice Of Law ◽  
Party Autonomy ◽  
Applicable Law ◽  
The Hague ◽  
The Law ◽  
Procedure Codes

This chapter explores Angolan and Mozambican perspectives on the Hague Principles. The rules of Angolan and Mozambican civil law, and with them private international law, currently in force correspond to the Portuguese rules as they stood in 1975. As to private international law, the 1966 Portuguese Civil Code (hereafter CC) contains a codification of this field of the law in Articles 15 to 65. Meanwhile, rules on international civil procedure are to be found in the Angolan and the Mozambican Civil Procedure Codes. They concern, inter alia, international jurisdiction and the enforcement of foreign judgments. Party autonomy is recognized as the principal connecting factor for contractual relationships (Art 41(1) CC). Nevertheless, the choice of law is not unlimited: it is necessary that either some of the elements of the contract having relevance in private international law are connected with the law chosen, or that the choice of the applicable law corresponds to a serious interest. It is clear from this backdrop that a set of rules, such as the Hague Principles, which present themselves as an embodiment of current best practices is well placed to help interpret, supplement, or develop the choice of law rules of the 1966 Civil Code.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.5 Latin America: Coordinated by Lauro Gama and José Antonio Moreno Rodríguez, 63 Paraguay: Paraguayan Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodríguez José Antonio Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Member State ◽  
International Law ◽  
International Institute ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
State Law ◽  
Conflict Of Laws ◽  
Commercial Code ◽  
The World ◽  
The Hague

This chapter highlights Paraguayan perspectives on the Hague Principles. Paraguay does not have a law dealing comprehensively and organically with Private International Law. The Civil and Commercial Code of 1987 contains the basic regulation on conflict of laws, and other provisions on the field can be found scattered in several special laws dealing with specific matters. Paraguay adhered, as a Member State, to the Hague Conference on Private International Law via Law 2555 of 2005. It is the first country in the world to legislate on international contracts heavily influenced by the Hague Principles. The Paraguayan law on international contracts drawn upon the Hague Principles openly allows the application of non-State law, and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) Principles clearly qualify as such.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.3 Australasia: Coordinated by Brooke Marshall, 42 New Zealand: New Zealand Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hook Maria
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
International Law ◽  
General Position ◽  
Common Law ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
Choice Of Law ◽  
Legislative Reform ◽  
The Hague ◽  
The Law

This chapter examines the choice of law rules that determine the law applicable to international contracts in New Zealand, comparing them to the Hague Principles. Private international law in New Zealand is still largely a common law subject, and the choice of law rules on international commercial contracts are no exception. The general position, which has been inherited from English common law, is that parties may choose the law applicable to their contract, and that the law with the closest and most real connection applies in the absence of choice. There are currently no plans in New Zealand for legislative reform, so the task of interpreting and developing the choice of law rules continues to fall to the courts. When performing this task, New Zealand courts have traditionally turned to English case law for assistance. But they may be willing, in future, to widen their scope of inquiry, given that the English rules have long since been Europeanized. It is conceivable, in this context, that the Hague Principles may be treated as a source of persuasive authority, provided they are consistent with the general principles or policies underlying the New Zealand rules.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.4 Europe: Coordinated by Thomas Kadner Graziano, 45 Liechtenstein: Liechtenstein Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heiss Helmut
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Case Law ◽  
Contract Law ◽  
Constitutional Court ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
International Treaties ◽  
Choice Of Law ◽  
International Convention ◽  
Legal Literature ◽  
The Hague

This chapter looks at Liechtenstein perspectives on the Hague Principles. Rules on choice of law, including international commercial contract law, have been codified by virtue of the Act on Private International Law 1996 (Liechtenstein PILA). The Liechtenstein PILA does not expressly state that conventions will take precedence over national laws. However, it has been held by the Liechtenstein Constitutional Court that international treaties are of at least equal status to regular national laws and that national law must be interpreted in line with public international law. Moreover, an international convention will often be considered to be a lex specialis and be given precedence over national rules on that ground. Liechtenstein courts will refer first of all to (old) Austrian case law and legal literature when dealing with matters pertaining to the parties’ choice of law. Whenever these sources leave ambiguity to a specific question, Liechtenstein courts may and most likely will consider other persuasive authorities. The Hague Principles may constitute such persuasive authority.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.2 Asia: Coordinated by Yuko Nishitani and Béligh Elbalti, 39 United Arab Emirates: Emirati Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bälz Kilian
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Civil Code ◽  
International Standards ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
International Treaties ◽  
Federal Law ◽  
The Hague ◽  
The Law

This chapter presents Emirati perspectives on the Hague Principles. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) are a federal State that was established in 1971. Private international law, civil procedure, and arbitration all are federal matters that are covered by federal laws. Private international law is codified in a section of the UAE Civil Code (Federal Law No 5 of 1985) that deals in Articles 10 to 28 with ‘The application of the law regarding the place’. The section also contains the conflict of law rules applicable to international commercial contracts. The statutory provisions of the Civil Code are, in practical terms, the most important source of law when determining the law applicable to an international contract in the UAE. According to Article 22 of the Civil Code, international treaties, to the extent they apply, override the provisions of municipal law. Moreover, Article 23 of the Civil Code provides that in the absence of any statutory provision, ‘the [general] principles of private international law’ shall apply. This provides the UAE courts with the option to make reference to international standards such as the Hague Principles.

Part 2 National and Regional Reports, Part 2.2 Asia: Coordinated by Yuko Nishitani and Béligh Elbalti, 36 South Caucasus: South Caucasian Perspectives on the Hague Principles

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kupelyants Hayk
Keyword(s):  
International Law ◽  
Civil Code ◽  
Soft Law ◽  
Private International Law ◽  
Legal Systems ◽  
The South ◽  
South Caucasus ◽  
Customary International Law ◽  
The Hague

This chapter explores South Caucasian perspectives on the Hague Principles. The rules of private international law in all three South Caucasian countries—Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan—are primarily contained in statutes: the Chapter of Private International Law in Armenia (1998) and separate statutes on Private International Law in Azerbaijan (2000) and Georgia (1998). Article 1253(1) of the Armenian Civil Code and Article 1(2) of the Azerbaijani Act provides that the courts may apply international customs in the area of private international law. In so far as the Hague Principles amount to or eventually crystallize into customary international law, the courts may give effect to the Hague Principles in that manner. Before that happens, there is nothing in the legal systems of either of the three jurisdictions preventing the courts from citing for explanatory and persuasive reasons soft law instruments, such as the Hague Principles. That said, stylistically the judgments of the South Caucasian jurisdictions are often drafted in a very concise and skeletal manner. Soft law instruments and commentary might influence the reasoning of the judges, but they would rarely refer to them in the text of the judgment.

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