THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BOSS

Three different personas during testimony There are matters to consider before you enter a courtroom as plaintiff, defendant or witness: for instance, what you say, your body language, how you present yourself and what you wear. The judge will be watching you. You don’t believe me? Read for yourself! The judge about the defendant: Murdock tried out… Continue reading THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE BOSS

SYMPOSIUM ON 35 YEARS OF THE CURACAO BAR ASSOCIATION (16 NOVEMBER 2012)

Presentation by Karel Frielink – President (part 2) Civil Litigation Law should be better So now I will deal with the subject of this symposium. I begin straight away with a provoking statement: Our Civil Litigation Law should be better. This goes further than it ‘could’ be better. However, we shouldn’t only think about the… Continue reading SYMPOSIUM ON 35 YEARS OF THE CURACAO BAR ASSOCIATION (16 NOVEMBER 2012)

PRESENTING FACTS IN DUTCH CARIBBEAN COURT PROCEEDINGS

Facts must be presented fully and truthfully Legal proceedings are initiated by a petition filed with the Courts. A petition is a document stating, among other things, the names and addresses of the parties, the nature of the dispute (including the relevant facts of the case), the competent court, and the demand for relief. The… Continue reading PRESENTING FACTS IN DUTCH CARIBBEAN COURT PROCEEDINGS

SCANNED EVIDENCE UNDER THE LAWS OF THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN

Electronic files will not be disregarded as evidence A Netherlands Antilles or Aruban court may only base its decision on facts. An alleged fact that is not disputed by the parties is considered to be such a fact, even if it does not correspond with reality. For example, if both parties state that they were… Continue reading SCANNED EVIDENCE UNDER THE LAWS OF THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN

PIERCING THE CORPORATE VEIL IN ARUBA

Ignoring the legal personality of a company A shareholder is not personally liable for acts performed in the name of the company and is not liable to contribute to losses of the company in excess of the amount which he must pay to the company as contribution for his shares. There is therefore a legal… Continue reading PIERCING THE CORPORATE VEIL IN ARUBA

WHAT DAMAGES ARE RECOVERABLE UNDER ARUBAN LAW? (II)

Case law The Supreme Court in its case law has held that relatives of a deceased person are only entitled to sue for damages against the person liable for his or her death, if and to the extent that their death has left them in need. The extent of need is measured by the standard… Continue reading WHAT DAMAGES ARE RECOVERABLE UNDER ARUBAN LAW? (II)

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… Continue reading WHAT DAMAGES ARE RECOVERABLE UNDER ARUBAN LAW? (I)