A three-part distinction With regard to liability a three-part distinction can be made. The first distinction relates to the basis of the liability: liability pursuant to a contractual relationship (the attributable failure in this respect) and liability pursuant to a wrongful act. Another distinction relates to the personal liability (thus for the party’s own actions… Continue reading TYPES OF LIABILITY IN ARUBA
Tag: tort
LIABILITY OF COMPANY DIRECTORS
No derivative suit It is considered a general rule of Dutch Caribbean corporate law that the management board (a.k.a. board of directors) must act in the best interests of the company (an NV or BV) in the performance of its duties, even when acting on instructions from others (e.g. shareholders). This includes the interests of… Continue reading LIABILITY OF COMPANY DIRECTORS
NO DERIVATIVE ACTION IN ST. MAARTEN
A claim based on tort is possible though St. Maarten law does not provide for a derivative action. According to Section 2:3 subsection 1 of the St. Maarten Civil Code, for the purposes of patrimonial law (i.e. the law of property, rights and interests and the law of obligations) a legal person (e.g. an NV… Continue reading NO DERIVATIVE ACTION IN ST. MAARTEN
A CORPORATION AND ITS ALTER EGO
Piercing or lifting the corporate veil As a general rule under Curaçao law, shareholders of corporate entities with limited liability do not risk more than their capital contribution. Such shareholders cannot be held liable for their corporations’ debts or obligations. These corporations are recognized as legal entities separate from their shareholders and managing directors. However,… Continue reading A CORPORATION AND ITS ALTER EGO
LIFTING THE CORPORATE VEIL IN ARUBA
Only under exceptional circumstances In terms of “piercing the corporate veil” and shareholders’ liability, the laws of the Netherlands and Aruba are nearly identical. As far as a tort matter concerns the laws of Aruba, Dutch case-law and Dutch legal literature should be considered as well. In exceptional cases shareholders of an Aruba company can… Continue reading LIFTING THE CORPORATE VEIL IN ARUBA
THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN AND ROME I AND ROME II
Nothing has changed as of 10-10-10 The Country the Netherlands Antilles consisted of Bonaire, Curacao, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius and Saba, and formed part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. On October 10, 2010 the Netherlands Antilles ceased to exist as a country. Two new countries were born on that date: the country Curacao and… Continue reading THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN AND ROME I AND ROME II
INTERNATIONAL NON-CONTRACTUAL LIABILITY FROM A DUTCH PERSPECTIVE
Introduction Financial law is not an exclusively national affair. Cross-border transactions and service provisions have been common place for a very long time. Harmonisation of rules has been worked towards in a European context for decades. Leaving aside special subject matters such as liability for products and road accidents, the (partial) harmonisation of the rules in… Continue reading INTERNATIONAL NON-CONTRACTUAL LIABILITY FROM A DUTCH PERSPECTIVE
FILE SHARING IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN
Internet service providers should act prudently regarding claimed copyright infringement File sharing, as is commonly understood, involves distributing or providing access to electronically stored data. One, if not the most, popular way to do this is through the use of so-called (distributed) peer-to-peer (P2P) networking programs. The rising popularity of music formats such as mp3… Continue reading FILE SHARING IN THE DUTCH CARIBBEAN
UNLAWFUL ACTS UNDER ARUBAN LAW
Several requirements apply Article 6:162 section 1 of the Aruba Civil Code (Aruba CC) stipulates four conditions for someone’s obligation to compensate damage based on an unlawful act (tort): A person has committed an unlawful act (‘onrechtmatige daad’) against another person; and The act can be attributed (‘toegerekend’) to that person; and Some other person… Continue reading UNLAWFUL ACTS UNDER ARUBAN LAW
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)
FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS UNDER THE LAWS OF ARUBA (II)
Case law regarding termination It can be concluded from a Netherlands Antilles case regarding failed negotiations for the continuation of a license agreement (franchising) (Antillean Family Foods NV vs Mc Donald’s Corporation, Supreme Court, February 26, 1993, NJ 1993, 289), that under certain circumstances the termination of an agreement may constitute an obligation (to negotiate… Continue reading FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS UNDER THE LAWS OF ARUBA (II)