Who do we have to thank for the conservatorship? Recently, a lot has been written and said about the fact that Curacao is under some kind of conservatorship (or guardianship). In this case conservatorship means something like: not being allowed to take your own (financial) decisions without the approval of a supervisor. How could it have… Continue reading CURACAO AND ITS DEFICIT
Tag: dutch caribbean
COURTS AND OMBUDSMAN REPORTS
Ombudsman reports are taken seriously An Ombudsman determines whether a complaint is justified or not. If the Ombudsman finds that a complaint is justified or has merit, he may decide to try and persuade the government or government agency to change its policy or decision. This topic, however, is about an Ombudsman report resulting from… Continue reading COURTS AND OMBUDSMAN REPORTS
OMBUDSMAN INVESTIGATION
Ombudsman beneficial to lawyers and their clients? In several jurisdictions the law provides that, with certain exceptions, a statement made or an answer given by a person during an investigation by the Ombudsman, and a report or recommendation of the Ombudsman, is inadmissible in evidence in a court or in any other proceeding. As far… Continue reading OMBUDSMAN INVESTIGATION
LAWYERS COMPARED TO OMBUDSMEN
Tarzan in the administration jungle I will not go into too much detail regarding the role and nature of an Ombudsman and investigations carried out by him. The role of Ombudsman is known in many jurisdictions and they can, just like lawyers, be found in all types and sizes. Some are described as “Tarzan in… Continue reading LAWYERS COMPARED TO OMBUDSMEN
LAWYERS IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN
What is a lawyer? For people dealing with lawyers it is of importance to understand lawyers as a profession and what they may be after in a particular case. I will therefore briefly discuss the nature of this centuries old profession. Well, what is a lawyer? The answer depends on the context in which this… Continue reading LAWYERS IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN
GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (V)
Government drafted model articles of association The first model articles of association date from March 15, 2011. For criticism see: K. Frielink, Visie Land op overheids-NV’s verkeerd [Vision Country on government-owned NVs incorrect], Antilliaans Dagblad 15 April 2011, p. 16 and M.L. Alexander, F.B.M. Kunneman, L.G. Santine and R.J. in ’t Veld, Modelstatuten ten sterkste… Continue reading GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (V)
GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (IV)
Code Corporate Governance Curacao On January 1, 2010, the National Ordinance regarding corporate governance came into effect. Based on this the Code Corporate Governance Curacao came into being, that also came into effect on January 1, 2010. In it, reference is still made to the Executive Council and the island territory of Curacao, but as… Continue reading GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (IV)
GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (III)
The government is not automatically an ‘ordinary’ shareholder It is obvious that in a small community such as that of Curacao, with only a limited choice when it comes to directors and supervisory directors to be appointed, and in which (family, social) networks seem to play an important role in making choices, there is a… Continue reading GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (III)
GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (II)
Government (not) at a distance? Being a director of a government-owned company is certainly not always as easy. Neither is being a shareholder in a government-owned company. The directors will usually complain about too much influence from politicians, while the politicians will usually find that they have too little grip on government-owned companies. In this… Continue reading GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (II)
GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (I)
For Hobbes, it is certain that there must be a sovereign According to Thomas Hobbes we all have natural passions that carry us to, among other things, partiality, pride, and revenge. The laws of nature, as Hobbes sees them, including ‘justice’, ‘equity’, ‘modesty’, and ‘mercy’, are contrary to our passions. Therefore, we will only observe… Continue reading GOVERNMENT AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE (I)
CURACAO COURT INTERVENES IN POLITICAL APPOINTMENT
Political appointments unacceptable The Court of First Instance of Curacao passed judgment on 23 January 2012 in the case of Selikor N.V. versus Drs. Ivar Asjes (JOR 2012, 105). This case is a follow-up to the judgment of the Joint Court of Appeal of the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba of 10 August 2010, JOR 2010,… Continue reading CURACAO COURT INTERVENES IN POLITICAL APPOINTMENT
DUTCH CARIBBEAN LEGAL PORTAL
Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba There is a large legal community in the Dutch Caribbean. Until 2007 there was no website with news and general information about the legal system of the Dutch Caribbean, its institutions and its practitioners. Dutch Caribbean Legal Portal aims to fill this void and strives to… Continue reading DUTCH CARIBBEAN LEGAL PORTAL