WHAT DAMAGES ARE RECOVERABLE UNDER ARUBAN LAW? (I)

Nature and extent determined by the Civil Code

When considering the nature and extent of damages that are recoverable under Aruban law, the point of departure is Book 6, Title 1 (Obligations in General), Section 10 (Legal Obligations to Make Reparation of Damage), Article 95 of the Aruban Civil Code which states: ‘the damage which must be repaired pursuant to a legal obligation to make reparation consists of material damage and other harm (i.e., immaterial damage), the latter to the extent that the law grants a right to reparation thereof’.

Pursuant to Article 96, Paragraph 1, material damage comprises both …
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16
May 2009
CATEGORY

Legal

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LIBERALIZATION IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN

Telecom first, airlines to follow suit

The government of the Netherlands Antilles has been in favor of liberalizing the telecommunication market for may years now. Liberalization of the telecom market means opening it up to domestic and foreign competition, subject to certain regulatory principles.

Basically, liberalization means competition; competition means price levels determined by the market, not by a monopoly. This will benefit the consumers. In a free market telecom companies will, in principle, also be more innovative, more service-minded, offering a better and wider range of services, including service packages, for example, in an attempt to keep their customers …
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21
Mar 2009
CATEGORY

Legal

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THREE QUESTIONS ABOUT DUTCH CARIBBEAN PREJUDGMENT ATTACHMENT

FAQ

Question 1

How easily can one obtain permission to freeze assets?

The Netherlands Antilles Code of Civil Procedure provides the possibility to seize and freeze assets in anticipation of a court order to pay a certain amount or to return certain goods. This legal remedy is referred to as prejudgment attachment or seizure (conservatoir beslag). 

In general, a petition for the attachment of assets is only marginally examined by the court and will therefore be granted in most cases. The claimant must then submit a writ of summons or claim form to the court, within a period determined by the court, …
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23
Dec 2008
CATEGORY

Legal

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THREE QUESTIONS ABOUT DUTCH CARIBBEAN CIVIL PROCEEDINGS

FAQ

Question 1

Are there any particular issues that concern foreign plaintiffs in the Netherlands Antilles?

If proceedings on the merits are initiated by a non-resident plaintiff, the defendant may ask the court to order that the plaintiff provide security for damages, costs and interest which it might be liable to pay as a result of the judgment in aforementioned proceedings. This “cautio judicatum solvi” does not apply if there is a Convention (Treaty) on legal proceedings between the Netherlands Antilles and the plaintiff’s country.

Question2

Can attorney costs for legal proceedings be recovered?

Generally speaking, each party has to …
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20
Dec 2008
CATEGORY

Legal

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DUTCH CARIBBEAN COURT DECISION IN TELECOM CASE

Scarlet about to enter telecom market in Sint Maarten

On 18 November 2008, the Administrative Court in Sint Maarten ruled that the Executive Council of Sint Maarten was not authorized to refuse Scarlet a business license for the provision and operation of international telecommunications services in Sint Maarten (click here for the judgment).

Scarlet, represented by Dr. Douwe Boersema of the law firm Spigthoff in Curaçao, appealed through the courts against the decision of the authorities in Sint Maarten to deny it such a license based on a moratorium on new telecom companies. The moratorium …
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26
Nov 2008
CATEGORY

Legal

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CHURANDY MARTINA WINS SILVER ON 200M IN BEIJING, BUT…

was wrongly disqualified

On 20 August 2008, Churandy Martina won the silver medal in the 200 metres at the Olympics behind Usain Bolt in 19.82 seconds, the first time he had run sub-20s. He was the first medal winner for the Netherlands Antilles after Jan Boersma won silver in sailing at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

But Churandy Martina later was disqualified after the U.S. team protest that he had run out of his lane. However, the Netherlands Antilles has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne to restore …
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25
Aug 2008
CATEGORY

Various

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