In current Dutch law, a concurrence of actions is possible between the rei vindicatio and the action to recover an undue payment (‘vordering uit onverschuldigde betaling’). From a historical point... Show moreIn current Dutch law, a concurrence of actions is possible between the rei vindicatio and the action to recover an undue payment (‘vordering uit onverschuldigde betaling’). From a historical point of view, though, this concurrence is remarkable. In Roman law, the rei vindicatio and the condictio—the historical precursor of the modern actio to recover an undue payment—were opposites: whereas the rei vindicatio was based on the plaintiff’s ownership of an object, the condictio was based on the defendant’s obligation to transfer ownership to the plaintiff. Consequently, concurrence of these actions was, barring a few—but noteworthy—exceptions, impossible. This book explores the development of the condictio in relation to the rei vindicatio. As part of this development, the requirement that transfer of ownership is only possible when a valid title (iusta causa) is present—and the question what actually constitutes a iusta causa—plays an important role. Consecutively, attention is given to Roman law, the ius commune, and the enactment of the modern codifications in Germany, Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands. (Contains a summary in German; Mit einer Zusammenfassung auf Deutsch.) Show less
Scattered throughout the Digest of Justinian are 38 reports of court cases judged by the emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 CE) in the quality of highest judicial instance in the Roman empire.... Show moreScattered throughout the Digest of Justinian are 38 reports of court cases judged by the emperor Septimius Severus (193-211 CE) in the quality of highest judicial instance in the Roman empire. These reports have been excerpted out of what seem to be two different works of the Roman jurist Julius Paulus: the Decretorum libri tres and the Imperialium sententiarum in cognitionibus prolatarum libri sex. Paul’s collections are unique. No other Roman jurist has ever published a similar collection of imperial judicial decisions. Moreover, Paul’s descriptions are exceptionally detailed. Not only does he describe the proceedings at the imperial court, but he also mentions the deliberations between the emperor and his advisory council afterwards. Consequently, his reports offer a unique insight in the decision making-process at the highest level of the imperial bureaucracy. The aim of this study is to gain a better perspective on the judicial activities of Septimius Severus by means of a legal and contextual analysis of Paul’s case reports and to relate these activities to the constitutional, institutional and historical context in which the judgments of Severus and, subsequently, the works of Paul came into being. This examination of the interaction between content and context makes it possible to discover the motives underlying Paul’s publication of the judicial decisions of Severus. Show less
In the Netherlands, levying tax on inheritances at death has been a fact of life for centuries. The presumed double taxation and its sad precursor are elements of the discussion about the levy of... Show moreIn the Netherlands, levying tax on inheritances at death has been a fact of life for centuries. The presumed double taxation and its sad precursor are elements of the discussion about the levy of this inheritance tax, but so too are the possibilities to reduce the tax through ingenious legal constructions. In its zeal to counter such clever plans the legislature has turned the law into a complex body without parrying all the avoidance behaviour. On top of that, the effects of the current law can be very unreasonable. The thesis uncovers the root cause of this problem by retracing the levy of inheritance tax to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands, a little-described chapter in legal history. It is discovered how the current problems would never have occurred under the simple statutory provision applicable in that period. The obvious conclusion is that the inheritance tax should be reformed based on that model. How such amendment can best be designed is elaborated further based on insights gained from legal history and other legal systems. This has resulted in a complete bill with comments, so the legislature now has the solution at its fingertips. Show less
References to 'balancing' and 'weighing' are ubiquitous in modern constitutional rights adjudication discourse in many Western legal systems. This thesis traces the rise of this form of language to... Show moreReferences to 'balancing' and 'weighing' are ubiquitous in modern constitutional rights adjudication discourse in many Western legal systems. This thesis traces the rise of this form of language to a series of decisions by the German Federal Constitutional Court and the U.S. Supreme Court of the late 1950s and early 1960s and to scholarly debates surrounding these decisions. Based on a detailed study of these historical origins, the thesis develops 'local meanings' of balancing that show striking differences as between jurisdictions. These local meanings are then compared on a conceptual grid derived from the common problematic of managing the relative formality of the legal order. Balancing in the U.S., in this model, is the expression of a skeptical pragmatism, whereas in German law. it is the centrepiece of an aspirational legalism. Understanding these differences is crucial to an evaluation of the legitimizing potential of balancing-based legal reasoning.So, while balancing in the U.S. is mostly seen as a pragmatic solution for when legal doctrinal models break down, German balancing is instead the expression of basic choices pertaining to the foundations of the constitutional legal order as a whole.The range of striking differences found between these meanings counters widely accepted claims as to the convergence of practices of constitutional rights adjudication on a 'balancing model' Show less
This book focuses on the observationes tumultuariae of Cornelis van Bijnkershoek and the observationes tumultuariae novae of his son-in-law Willem Pauw. Between 1704 and 1787, therefore during... Show moreThis book focuses on the observationes tumultuariae of Cornelis van Bijnkershoek and the observationes tumultuariae novae of his son-in-law Willem Pauw. Between 1704 and 1787, therefore during virtually the entire eighteenth century, both these judges and presidents of the Supreme Court of Holland, Zeeland and West Friesland recorded their opinions about the judgements of the Supreme Court on paper for their own personal use. There are a total of more than five thousand observationes, of which 186 relate in full or in part to commercial partnerships. This book describes these specific cases of commercial partnerships the Court dealt with, the rise of corporations, and company law in general. Show less
De universiteit van Orléans is een belangrijk centrum voor juridisch onderwijs geweest, met name ook voor studenten uit Duitsland en de Nederlanden. In de traditie van onderzoekingen van E.M.... Show moreDe universiteit van Orléans is een belangrijk centrum voor juridisch onderwijs geweest, met name ook voor studenten uit Duitsland en de Nederlanden. In de traditie van onderzoekingen van E.M. Meijers en anderen die haar belang in de dertiende eeuw hebben aangetoond, toen zij een geduchte concurrent voor Bologne vormde, beschrijft deze studie een onderbelichte periode uit haar geschiedenis, die tijdens de Honderdjarige Oorlog. Aan de hand van de levensgeschiedenissen van vier van de meest invloedrijke professoren (Jean Nicot, Bertrand Chabrol, Géraud Bagoilh en Jean Noaillé) wordt het onderwijs in het civiele recht in Orléans tussen 1337 en 1428 in kaart gebracht. Naast gegevens over hun leven, hun werken en hun omgeving (leermeesters, collegae en leerlingen) toont deze studie enerzijds de invloeden die deze hoogleraren hebben ondergaan van auteurs uit Frankrijk en Italië; anderzijds laat zij de invloed van hun denkbeelden op andere centra van rechtsgeleerdheid in Europa zien. Behalve deze historische beschrijving van de Universiteit van Orléans ontsluit het werk ook een aantal geschriften van Orléanese professoren. Uit acht van de ongeveer vijftig handschriften waarop de studie is gebaseerd zijn aanzienlijke passages geannoteerd uitgegeven. Het uitgebreide notenapparaat en de registers maken het werk tot een belangrijk naslagwerk voor deze periode in de rechtsgeschiedenis van Frankrijk, Duitsland en de Nederlanden. Show less
In several continental Western European legal systems, a person may be liable in person or through his property for payment of a debt which is not his. Both personal surety and a pledge which has... Show moreIn several continental Western European legal systems, a person may be liable in person or through his property for payment of a debt which is not his. Both personal surety and a pledge which has been alienated by its owner come to mind. Under such circumstances, the question rises whether a creditor can attach the surety or the pledge before seeking payment from the debtor. According to classical Roman law, the creditor had a right to choose. However, emperor Justinian changed the law in this regard, forcing the creditor to first seek recourse against his debtor, even to the point of insolvency proceedings. This rule later became known as the ‘beneficium ordinis’ or ‘beneficium excussionis / discussionis’. Over the ages, the rule has come under severe attack, which resulted in it either being abandoned or modified, so as not to interfere with creditors’ rights. The author tracks these developments through the medieval European ‘ius commune’ into French law, Roman-Dutch law and modern Dutch law. The latter has extended the rule in 1992 for real security interests, while at the same time abandoning it for sureties. It is asserted that this was a mistake and the rule should be abolished entirely. Show less
