FINAL POSTING OF 2011
What a year!
This will be my final posting for 2011. What a year. It feels as if the whole world has changed more rapidly than ever before and not only as a result of the Arabic Spring and the economic turmoil.
The year 2012 is about to begin and it won’t be an easy year. Many will suffer from the crisis and many will keep suffering from oppression, diseases and natural disasters. There still will be tensions between countries and populations. There still will be war. However, new faces and new voices in the political arena may change things …
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LEGAL MERGERS IN CURACAO
The Curacao Civil Code provides for a simplified merger procedure
The acquisition of a business enterprise may take place through the purchase of shares (take-over), the purchase of assets and liabilities or a legal / statutory merger. The Curacao Legal Code on corporate and other legal persons contains detailed provisions for mergers of companies limited by shares (NV) and private limited companies (BV).
Basically, a legal merger entails the absorption of one legal entity by another in exchange for shares, or even without such exchange. The absorbed entity ceases to exist. A legal merger requires a notarial deed. Legal mergers …
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UNITED NATIONS BASIC PRINCIPLES ON THE ROLE OF LAWYERS
The Basic Principles are considered to be a “soft-law” instrument
The Basic Priciples on the role of lawyers were adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders, Havana, Cuba, 27 August to 7 September 1990.
According to the preambule professional associations of lawyers have a vital role to play in upholding professional standards and ethics, protecting their members from persecution and improper restrictions and infringements, providing legal services to all in need of them, and cooperating with governmental and other institutions in furthering the ends of justice and public interest, The …
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CREDIT INSTITUTIONS IN CURACAO AND ST. MAARTEN
A license is required
The National Ordinance on the supervision of banking and credit institutions 1994 (Landsverordening toezicht bank- en kredietwezen, the “NOSB”) of both Curacao and St. Maarten prohibits any one (other than a licensed Credit Institution) from – directly or indirectly – soliciting funds from the public or extending credit to the public (art. 45 NOSB).
It should be noted that the Explanatory Memorandum to the NOSB bestows a wide scope on the term “public”, i.e. anyone other than a licensed Credit Institution. The Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten may grant individual exemptions from this prohibition. …
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INVESTMENT INSTITUTIONS IN CURACAO AND ST. MAARTEN
Raising money without a license is prohibited
The National Ordinance on the Supervision of Investment Institutions and Administrators 2002 (Landsverordening toezicht beleggingsinstellingen en administrateurs, a.k.a. “NOSIIA”) of both Curacao and St. Maarten prohibits raising, or obtaining, pecuniary means or other property for the purpose of participating in an investment institution that has not been granted a license by the Central Bank of Curacao and St. Maarten, and prohibits offering participating interests in such an investment institution in or from Curacao or St. Maarten respectively.
Investment institutions may be exempted from this prohibition if the moneys or goods to be exchanged for …
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TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT AND REDUNDANCY
Termination by mutual consent is preferable
In general, Curacao labor law provides for the following ways to terminate an employment agreement: (i) termination by giving notice, (ii) dissolution by the Courts and (iii) termination by mutual consent.
Prior to giving notice, an employer must obtain a permit from the Director of the Directorate of Labor Affairs. The Director will determine whether there is a valid reason for the dismissal. In the case of redundancy the employer is obliged to provide a detailed financial justification thereof. If in agreement, the Director of the Directorate of Labor Affairs may issue a permit …
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THE RHYTHM AND BLUES OF CURACAO CONTRACT LAW
Principle of fairness and reasonableness
When considered in the perspective of the laws of Curacao, the reliance on or the enforcement of contractual terms and conditions contained in any agreement, may under certain circumstances be contrary to the overriding principle of ‘fairness and reasonableness’ (redelijkheid en billijkheid) which governs the relationship between the parties to an agreement. Prof. Tjittes calls this good faith principle the Rhythm & Blues of our legal system.
Civil law systems such as the Dutch, French, German, or our system, explicitly espouse and apply this principle, whereas common law systems (e.g. English common law) do not …
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TWEE CURACAOSE MEESTERS
Varia Juridica
Dit boekje wordt uitgegegeven door Wolf Legal Publishers. Op de website van de uitgever staat:
Twee Curacaose Meesters bevat beschouwingen over uiteenlopende onderwerpen van het recht. Tot de Varia Juridica die aan bod komen behoren de geschiedenis en enkele aspecten van de advocatuur, de advocaat als financiële dienstverlener, corporate governance, Blackberryitis en deugdzaam leiderschap.
Karel Frielink en Mirto F. Murray zijn beiden advocaat op Curacao. Vanuit de gedachte dat het recht van iedereen en voor iedereen is, en dat opvattingen en inzichten nu eenmaal tijd- en plaatsgebonden zijn, nemen zij deel aan de discussie over …
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TRUST SERVICE PROVIDERS IN CURACAO
TSPs are supervised by the Central Bank
Many international group structures include one or more Curacao legal entities or partnerships. The main reasons for this are the internationally competitive conditions for business development in the area of corporate law and the tax system in Curacao, as well as the well-developed professional financial services industry. Trust Service Providers (“TSPs”) are involved in setting up and maintaining such structures. TSPs conduct the management of legal entities and partnerships (“client companies”) on behalf of other enterprises. Management usually involves the TSP acting as manager of the client company and providing a correspondence address …
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THE BACHELOR CURACAO
The first rose
The first episode of the Dutch version of the TV-program The Bachelor on Curacao aired on 11 May 2011 (click here).
And after watching the first episode of this show I can admit: Curacao still is the Pearl of the Caribbean.
Karel Frielink
(12 May 2011)
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THE UTOPIAN LAWYER
Dare to dream!
A high degree of civilisation must be expected from the ideal advocate (attorney; lawyer) as well as a high degree of learning and expertise. A practical attitude, language skill and rhetorical ability form part of the standard baggage of the utopian advocate. He is not only feared for his razor-sharp analyses, for breaking through reasoning utterly lacking any logic and for turning the attackers of the rule of law to stone, but both friend as well as foe respect his disposition as well as his expertise.
Quite often the utopian advocate will get the feeling that in …
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THE LAWYER AS A VIRTUOSO OF LANGUAGE (PART II)
The use of technical concepts has a useful function
Another example is the Directive of the European Commission of 18 February 1985 (85/205/EEC) adapting to technical progress Council Directive 71/127/EEC on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the rear-view mirrors of motor vehicles. The term “rear-view mirror” in itself means a device excluding complex optical systems such as periscopes, intended to give a clear view to the rear and side of the vehicle within the fields of vision defined in item 5 of Annex III.
There was at some time a Directive proposal to define …
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