Karel's Legal Blog
LAWYERS // TAX ATTORNEYS // ARUBA – BONAIRE – CURAÇAO – ST. MAARTEN

CARIBISCH JURISTENBLAD

Nu ook op Facebook

Het Caribisch Juristenblad verscheen eerder onder de naam TAR Justicia. Vanaf 1985 werd dit tijdschrift in eigen beheer uitgegeven door de stichting Tijdschrift voor Antilliaans Recht Justicia. Het Caribisch Juristenblad wordt thans uitgegeven door Boom Juridisch en heeft tot doel een bijdrage te leveren aan de rechtsontwikkeling in Aruba, Curaçao en Sint Maarten en in Bonaire, Saba en Sint Eustatius.

Sinds enkele maanden heeft het Caribisch Juristenblad ook een eigen Facebookpagina. Handig om te ‘liken’ en zo op de hoogte te blijven van de nieuwste publicaties.

(29 juli 2016)

.

HIRE A LAWYER AND GET ONE FOR FREE?

Law firms differ from shoe selling businesses

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to shoes. There is also no one-size-fits-all lawyer as a solution for all your legal matters. In many cases and for many clients, the size of a law firm is not of much importance. What is important may differ from client to client, however the following more or less general concepts will undoubtedly play a role: the attitude of the professional, the quality of the services provided, timely response, personal attention, the ability to stand in the client’s shoes, creativity and pricing. The job of a …
Read the rest »

CHAMBERS GLOBAL 2016 LEGAL RANKINGS RELEASED

Karel Frielink ranked Band 1 again

Once again I have been selected as a ranked lawyer in Chambers Global 2016 identifying me as one of the best lawyers in the Dutch Caribbean (click here).

The Chambers Guides have been ranking the best law firms and lawyers since 1990, and now cover 185 jurisdictions throughout the world. Chambers ranks lawyers and law firms on several factors and considerations, all of which are investigated by their large team of more than 140 researchers. Today, Chambers and Partners released the 2016 edition, also covering the Dutch Caribbean.

Individual lawyers are …
Read the rest »

PRELIMINARY RELIEF PROCEEDINGS

When a case needs an urgent decision

The procedure for provisional measures in summary proceedings (kort geding), a.k.a. preliminary relief proceedings or interlocutory proceedings, is an interim injunction procedure before the court. Such proceedings, under Dutch Caribbean law, are aimed at obtaining temporary instructions from the court, not at receiving a final decision in the case.

These proceedings are characterized by their more or less summary character and their relatively quick nature. There is a clear relationship to a procedure on the merits, which always may be instituted and sometimes even must be followed. Provisional measures that are prescribed in …
Read the rest »

THE BINDING EFFECT OF JUDGMENTS

Limited to the parties involved in the proceedings

Court decisions, even decisions by the Dutch Supreme Court, are not binding on courts when deciding future cases. However, the Code of Civil Procedure prevents parties from litigating twice on the same legal issue. The principle that a final judgment of a competent court is conclusive upon the parties in any subsequent litigation involving the same cause of action is known as ‘res judicata ’.

A Dutch court case is described below illustrating this principle: Utrecht District Court of 19 March 2009 (NJF 2009/291).

In initial litigation, the claimant had sought payment …
Read the rest »

BRIBERY

A criminal act

With regard to anti-corruption the Criminal Codes of Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and the BES-islands include criminal acts such as fraud, bribery and abuse of authorities. The bribery offence closely resembles the bribery provisions under the Dutch Criminal Code. The Codes also stipulate regulations on criminal acts committed by judges, ministers, members of Parliament and civil servants. Amendments were introduced to the Criminal Code specifically to implement the Anti-Bribery Convention. The bribery offences in the Criminal Codes mirror very closely those in the Dutch Criminal Code.

The relevant anti-bribery provisions are integrated in the Dutch Caribbean Criminal …
Read the rest »

TRADE-BASED MONEY LAUNDERING

More Trade Transparency Units Needed

Smuggling and trade fraud are on the rise, according to Viêt Nam News (27 October 2015). The Telegraph reports that the authorities in China have arrested 21 people on suspicion of defrauding almost one million Chinese investors of 50bn yuan (£5.3 billion) after an online peer-to-peer lender turned out to be a giant Ponzi scheme (1 February 2016). Money laundering and fraud seem to be on the increase. Trade-Based Money Laundering (TBML) is one of the big threats facing us today.

According to Premium Times (21 December 2015; Read the rest »

CONSOLIDATED BANKRUPTCY

Creditors, stay alert!

Aruba, Curaçao, St. Maarten and the BES-islands (Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba) will together be referred to as the Dutch Caribbean, although each has its own set of laws.

Bankruptcy in general serves the purpose of liquidating assets of a particular person or legal entity and distributing the proceeds among the combined creditors. Sometimes, several companies belonging to one and the same group of companies go bankrupt. In principle, the trustee in bankruptcy has to administer and liquidate the assets of each of the bankrupt estates individually.

When multiple companies of the same group go bankrupt, it …
Read the rest »

INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN

The UNCITRAL Model Law is applicable

Parties with a legal dispute can turn to the public court system to settle the dispute; however, instead of bringing a lawsuit in a public court, they can also opt for arbitration. Arbitration is a form of private dispute settlement in which the parties instruct one or more persons (arbitrators) to render a binding decision on their dispute. The arbitrators may be jurists, but they can also be laypersons. People with specific expertise or experience in a certain branch or industry are often chosen as arbitrator.

Parties can include a so-called arbitration clause in …
Read the rest »