Views
The concept of ‘right of access’ under Brussels II bis encompasses grandparents
In the judgment C-335/17 of 31 May 2018, the CJEU confirms that the autonomous concept of ‘right of access’ under Brussels II bis Regulation encompasses the rights of access of grandparents to their grandchildren. Read more
The “Coman” Case (C-673/16): Some reflections from the point of view of private international law
Written by Dr. iur. Baiba Rudevska (Latvia)
On 5 June 2018, the ECJ rendered a judgment in the Coman case (C-673/16). For the first time the ECJ had the opportunity to rule, on the concept of ‘spouse’ within the meaning of the Directive 2004/38/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States (Directive 2004/38) in the context of a same-sex marriage. Even if the Directive only covers questions related to the entry and residence in the European Union (EU), this judgment could be of interest for Private International lawyers as well. Read more
Petronas Lubricants: ECJ confirms that Art 20(2) Brussels I can be used by employer for assigned counter-claim
Last Thursday, the ECJ rendered a short (and rather unsurprising) decision on the interpretation of Art 20(2) Brussels I (= 22(2) of the Recast Regulation). In Petronas Lubricants (Case C 1/17), the Court held that an employer can rely on the provision to bring a counter-claim in the courts chosen by the employee even where said claim has been assigned to the employer after the employee had initiated proceedings.
The question had been referred to the ECJ in the context of a dispute between an employee, Mr Guida, and his two former employers, Petronas Lubricants Italy and Petronas Lubricants Poland. Mr Guida’s parallel employment contracts with these two companies had been terminated among allegations of wrongly claimed reimbursements. Mr Guida, who is domiciled in Poland, had sued his Italian employer in Italy for wrongful dismissal and his employer had brought a counter-claim for repayment of the sums Mr Guida had allegedly wrongfully received, which had been assigned by the Polish employer.
Art 20(2) Brussels I contains an exception to the rule in Art 20(1), according to which an employee can only be sued in the courts of their country of domicile, to allow the employer to bring a counter-claim in the courts chosen by the employee. Similar exceptions can be found in Art 12(2) Brussels I (= Art 14(2) of the Recast; for insurance contracts) and Art 16(3) Brussels I (= Art 18(3) of the Recast; for consumer contracts), all of which incorporate the ground for special jurisdiction provided in Art 6 No 3 Brussels I (= Art 8(3) of the Recast). In the present case, the ECJ had to decide whether this exception would also be available for counter-claims that had been assigned to the employer after the employee had initiated proceedings.
The Court answered this question in the affirmative, pointing out that
[28] … provided that the choice by the employee of the court having jurisdiction to examine his application is respected, the objective of favouring that employee is achieved and there is no reason to limit the possibility of examining that claim together with a counter-claim within the meaning of Article 20(2) [Brussels I].
At the same time, the Court emphasised that a counter-claim can only be brought in the court chosen by the employee if it fulfils the more specific requirements of Art 6 No 3 Brussels I, according to which the counter-claim must have arisen ‘from the same contract or facts on which the original claim was based’. This has recently been interpreted by the ECJ (in Case C-185/15 Kostanjevec) as requiring that both claims have ‘a common origin’ (see [29]–[30] of the decision). Where this is the case – as it was here (see [31]–[32]) –, it does not matter that the relevant claims have only been assigned to the employer after the employee had initiated proceedings (see [33]).
News
List of publications on South African private international law as from 2020
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS ON SOUTH AFRICAN PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW AS FROM 2020
Adams “Choice of Islamic law in the context of the wider lex mercatoria: an express choice of non-State law in contract” 2021 Journal of South African Law 59.
Adams “The UCP as a choice of non-State law in international commercial contracts” 2022 Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal 1.
Adams and Kruger “Private international law and choice of law clauses” in Hutchison and Myburgh (eds) International Commercial Contracts: Autonomy and Regulation in a Dynamic System of Lex Mercatoria (Edward Elgar, 2020) 110.
Bouwers Tacit Choice of Law in International Commercial Contracts – A Global Comparative Study (Schulthess, 2021) 68-75.
Coleman “Assessing the efficacy of forum selection agreements in Commonwealth Africa” 2020 Journal of Comparative Law in Africa 1.
Coleman “Reflecting on the role and impact of the constitutional value of ubuntu on the concept of contractual freedom and autonomy in South Africa” 2021 Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal 1.
Coleman “Contractual freedom and autonomy under the CISG and the UNIDROIT Principles as legislative and judicial guidance in Commonwealth Africa” 2021 South African Mercantile Law Journal 319.
Fredericks “Contractual capacity in African private international law” in Omlor (ed) Weltbürgerliches Recht. Festschrift für Michael Martinek zum 70. Geburtstag (CH Beck, 2020) 199.
Neels “The African Principles on the Law Applicable to International Commercial Contracts – a first drafting experiment” 2020 Uniform Law Review 426.
Neels “An experiment in the systematization of South African conflicts rules” in Omlor (ed) Weltbürgerliches Recht. Festschrift für Michael Martinek zum 70. Geburtstag (CH Beck, 2020) 529.
Neels “Characterisation and liberative prescription (the limitation of actions) in private international law – Canadian doctrine in the Eswatini courts (the phenomenon of dual cumulation)” 2021 Journal of Private International Law 361.
Neels “South African perspectives on the Hague Principles” in Girsberger, Kadner Graziano and Neels (gen eds) Choice of Law in International Commercial Contracts. Global Perspectives on the Hague Principles (OUP, 2021) 350.
Neels “International commercial law emerging in Africa” 2022 Potchefstroom Electronic Law Journal Special Edition Festschrift Charl Hugo http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/1727-3781/2022/v25i0a14381.
Neels and Fredericks “The African Principles of Commercial Private International Law and the Hague Principles” in Girsberger, Kadner Graziano and Neels (gen eds) Choice of Law in International Commercial Contracts. Global Perspectives on the Hague Principles (OUP, 2021) 239.
Neels and Fredericks “Recognition and enforcement of Slovenian judgments in South Africa – contractual claims and supranational or international jurisdiction” in Fourie and Škerl (eds) Universality of the Rule of Law. Slovenian and South African Perspectives (Sun Press, 2021) 193.
Neels and Fredericks “Covid-19 regulations as overriding mandatory provisions in private international law – a comparison of regional, supranational and international instruments with the proposed African Principles on the Law Applicable to International Commercial Contracts” in Watney (ed) The Impact of COVID-19 on the Future of Law and Related Disciplines (UJ Press, 2022) 1.
Obiri-Korang “Party autonomy: promoting legal certainty and predictability in international commercial contracts through choice of law (applicable rules of law)” 2022 Journal of South African Law 106.
Obiri-Korang “Primary connecting factors considered by South African courts to determine applicable law of international contracts on the sale of goods” 2022 Lex Portus 7.
Okorley “The possible impact of the Hague Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments in Civil or Commercial matters on private international law in Ghana” 2022 UCC Law Journal 85.
Schoeman “South Africa: time for reform” in Keyes (ed) Optional Choice of Court Agreements in Private International Law (Springer, 2020) 347.
Wethmar-Lemmer “Recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards under the International Arbitration Act 17 of 2017” 2019 SA Merc LJ 378 (appeared in 2020).
Wethmar-Lemmer “The new South African international arbitration landscape – advances and remaining conflict of laws challenges” in Omlor (ed) Weltbürgerliches Recht. Festschrift für Michael Martinek zum 70 Geburtstag (CH Beck, 2020) 867.
Wethmar-Lemmer “International commercial arbitration in South Africa and the CISG” 2022 Uniform Commercial Code Law Journal 311.
Supreme Court of Canada on International Child Abduction
Written by Stephen G.A. Pitel, Faculty of Law, Western University
The Supreme Court of Canada has released its decision in F v N, 2022 SCC 51 (available here) and the decision offers some important observations about the law on international child abduction. The court held 5-4 that two young children taken by their mother from UAE to Ontario are to be returned to their father in UAE.
The father and mother were engaged in a dispute over custody rights of the children. The court noted that in the removal/return context, it was not deciding the custody issue but rather deciding which court – Ontario or UAE – would decide that issue [para 1]. Because UAE is not a party to the Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, the issue of whether the children should be returned to UAE arose under Ontario legislation (Children’s Law Reform Act, RSO 1990, c C.12), though the court noted similarities between the two regimes [para 52].
Webinar 6 December: From All Aspects: The HCCH 1996 Child Protection Convention
The HCCH and and the Istanbul Bilgi University, Department of Private International Law, are organising a webinar on the 1996 Hague Child Protection Convention on 6 December 2022, 3 pm-5 pm (GMT +3).
The HCCH 1996 Child Protection Convention has been occupying a crucial spot for the protection of children in today’s globalized world, for more than 25 years. Experts from several countries, including central authority representatives, will discuss the convention, which tries to ensure that children are affected by intrafamilial disputes as little as possible, and will share their experiences as regards its application.
The webinar plan is as follows:
First Session
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Faruk Kerem Giray – Istanbul University Faculty of Law, Private International Law Department
- Introduction: “The HCCH 1996 Child Protection Convention: Main Features, Challenges and Opportunities After 25 Years” – Raquel Salinas Peixoto (on behalf of the Hague Conference on Private International Law)
- “Basic Concepts of the Convention, Role and Function of Central Authorities (GER)” – Christian Höhn – Germany, Central Authority, Federal Office of Justice
- “Basic Concepts of the Convention, Duties and Functions of Central Authorities (SUI)” – Joëlle Schickel-Küng – Switzerland, Central Authority, Co-Head, Private International Law Unit, Federal Office of Justice
Second Session
Moderator: Retired Judge Izzet Do?an
- “The Issue of Jurisdiction and General Experience of the Operation of the Convention” – Lord Justice Andrew MOYLAN – UK, Judge of the Court of Appeal, The Royal Courts of Justice, London
- “The Determination of the Applicable Law According to the HCCH 1996 Child Protection” – Judge Dr. Joanna GUTTZEIT – Germany, Judge of the Family Court, Local Court of Pankow (Richterin am Amtsgericht Pankow), Berlin, Liaison Judge of the International Hague Network of Judges
- “Recognition-Enforcement Pursuant to the Convention, and the Practical Benefits” – Carolina Marín Pedreño – Practitioner, Partner, Dawson Cornwell