The Role of the Hague Principles on Choice of Law in International Commercial Contracts in Indian and South African private international law

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan L. Neels
Author(s):  
Ignacio Goicoechea ◽  
Hans van Loon

The article discusses the role of judges in the development of private international law (PIL). It highlights the changing role of judges in the context of contemporary globalization, and argues that as a result of the expansion of their international duties, judges, in a way that is analogous to the working cycle of the Hague Conference on Private International Law, also have a role in identifying legal issues that must be addressed by PIL, developing tools to address those issues, ensuring the implementation and operation of these tools, and assessing their effectiveness. The article also highlights the contribution of judges to the development of Hague Conventions, and describes the very important role of Latin American judges in the development of special devices to promote the implementation, operation and assessment of the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention in Latin America.


Author(s):  
Hook Maria

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.


Author(s):  
Heiss Helmut

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.


Author(s):  
Gebremeskel Fekadu Petros

This chapter reflects on Ethiopian perspectives on the Hague Principles. Ethiopia does not have a codified law regulating matters of private international law, nor is there detailed case law from which one could derive key principles of the subject. While the shortage of private international law in Ethiopia is evident, the problem is most severe in the area of applicable law. In relation to party autonomy in choice of law, the Federal Supreme Court’s Cassation Division has handed down some interesting decisions, and these indeed have the force of law in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, the approach of the Ethiopian courts in respect of party autonomy is not very developed and clear, including in the field of international commercial contracts. While it would be prudent for Ethiopian courts to refer to the Hague Principles as persuasive authority, this requires awareness of the existence of the Hague Principles. In the long term, the Hague Principles will surely find their way into Ethiopian law.


Author(s):  
Neels Jan L

This chapter provides the reader with comments on the Hague Principles from the perspective of South African private international law of contract.Private international law in the Republic of South Africa is historically based on Roman–Dutch and English law, but is today influenced by domestic constitutional values, especially in the fields of international family and succession law. In the realm of the international law of obligations, the impact of the English common law is particularly strong. The notion of ‘the proper law of the contract’ is therefore widely used to indicate the law applicable to contractual obligations. The sources of private international law of contract are almost exclusively case law and the opinions of academic authors. The South African courts have always followed a comparative approach in respect of private international law, initially under the influence of an internationalist understanding of the conflict of laws. The courts would therefore certainly be entitled to refer to the Hague Principles as persuasive authority in the interpretation, supplementation, and development of the rules and principles of South African private international law.


Author(s):  
Zaher Khalid

This chapter examines Moroccan perspectives on the Hague Principles. In Morocco, the sources of private international law applicable to international commercial contracts are both of a national and an international nature. International sources include mainly treaties and, to a lesser extent, international customs to which the Moroccan courts may refer in particular cases. National sources are statutory law, case law, and scholarly writings. Case law has always played a vital role in the development and the interpretation of the rules applicable to international commercial contracts. It is indeed the role of the courts to determine the scope of law chosen by the parties and to delimit the boundaries of international public policy as a limit to the application of the law chosen by the parties. Moroccan courts consider international customs as important sources in respect of international contracts and arbitration. Having frequently used the universally accepted principles of private international law, Moroccan courts could easily draw on the Hague Principles to find solutions to certain questions that have not been addressed by the legislature.


1993 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 460-486
Author(s):  
Celia Wasserstein Fassberg

The aim of the Hague Conference on Private International Law is to work towards international unification of the rules in this area. Its hundred years of activity, and particularly the past forty years, have been devoted to producing conventions unifying the rules of law in the three central issues of private international law: jurisdiction, choice-of-law, and the enforcement and recognition of foreign judgments. These three distinct issues correspond to three distinct stages of litigation. The rules of jurisdiction answer the question, which state's courts have jurisdiction to decide a case or, from the perspective of any given state: does its courts have jurisdiction over the case? Choice-of-law rules, in contrast, answer the question, which law should govern the case, irrespective of where it is being adjudicated? Finally, the rules relating to foreign judgments define the terms on which a decision given in one state will be recognised and enforced in another.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 457
Author(s):  
Cristina Grieco

 Abstract: The new Regulations (No. 2016/1103 and No. 2016/1104) recently adopted through an enhanced cooperation by the European Legislator aim to deal with all the private international law aspects of matrimonial property regimes and property consequences of registered partnerships, both as concerns the daily management of matrimonial property (or partner’s property) and its liquidation, in particular as a result of the couple’s separation or the death of one of the spouses (or partners). This paper aims to address the prominent role of party autonomy in the two Regulations and to focus on the coordination between the legal system embodied in the new two Regulations, and other relevant instruments of European private international law in force, such as the Succession Regulation and the Bruxelles II- bis Regulation.Keywords: party autonomy; successions; matrimonial property regime, partnership property regi­me, applicable law, choice of law, private international law.Riassunto: I due nuovi regolamenti (No. 2016/1103 e No. 2016/1104), recentemente adottati nell’ambito di una cooperazione rafforzata dal legislatore europeo, si propongono di regolare tutti gli aspetti internazional privatistici legati ai regimi patrimoniali tra coniugi e alle conseguenze patrimoniali delle partnership registrate, sia per ciò che concerne la regolare amministrazione dei beni sia per ciò che riguarda la liquidazione degli stessi beni facenti parte del regime matrimoniale (o della partnership regi­strata) nel caso si verifichino vicende che ne alterino il normale svolgimento, come la separazione della coppia o la morte di uno degli sposi (o dei partner). Il presente scritto si propone di esaminare il ruolo prominente che, all’interno di entrambi i regolamenti, è riservato alla volontà delle parti e di focaliz­zarsi sul coordinamento tra i due nuovi strumenti e gli altri regolamenti di diritto internazionale privato europeo attualmente in vigore e, particolarmente, il regolamento sulle successioni transfrontaliere e il regolamento Bruxelles II- bisParole chiave: autonomia della volontà; successioni; rapporti patrimoniali tra coniugi; effetti pa­trimoniali delle unioni registrate; legge applicabile; scelta di legge; diritto internazionale privato.


Author(s):  
Girsberger Daniel ◽  
Graziano Thomas Kadner ◽  
Neels Jan L

This chapter presents the General Comparative Report, which addresses, article by article, the Hague (or HCCH) Principles on Choice of Law in International Commercial Contracts of 2015 (the Hague Principles). The General Comparative Report compares the Hague Principles with the state of the law in over sixty jurisdictions worldwide and with supranational rules and soft law principles. It aims to encourage legislators, courts, practitioners, and academics to further develop their domestic private international law systems and possibly benefit hereby from the Hague Principles by consistently and adequately applying, interpreting, and amending domestic, supranational, and regional private international law (PIL) in the context of party choice of law. The chapter then details the structure of the Report and the questionnaire used to address the issues covered by the Hague Principles. It also provides an introduction and a comparative overview of each of the Articles of the Hague Principles.


Author(s):  
Reyes Anselmo

This chapter explores Hong Kong perspectives on the Hague Principles. Hong Kong has no enacted code of private international law rules. In relation to contracts dealing with commercial matters, the choice of law principles of Hong Kong law are largely to be found at common law. Decisions of the English court, in particular, are often cited in Hong Kong as exemplifying the law on a given question. To a lesser degree, principles may be found in statute. While Hong Kong judges must look to case law to discern relevant choice of law principles, nothing prevents them from also having regard to the Hague Principles and holding that one or more articles therein accurately reflect Hong Kong law. Indeed, articles of the Hague Principles can be referred to by Hong Kong judges as accurate statements of present day Hong Kong law, as foundations for the refinement of existing common law rules, or as indications of how Hong Kong choice of law principles may be extended to deal with novel situations.


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