LRC`s Contribution to - Law Reform Commission

Reform of Codes and Visit of Professor
Robert Louis Garron at LRC’s Invitation
June 2011
Speech by Mr. Pierre Rosario DOMINGUE
[Chief Executive Officer, Law Reform Commission of Mauritius]
Visit of Professor Garron in the context of Reform of Codes [June 2011]
Speech by Pierre Rosario DOMINGUE, Chief Executive Officer, Law Reform Commission of
Mauritius, on the Object of the Visit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Discours de Bienvenu à la Conférence du Professeur Robert Louis
Garron sur le Code Civil Mauricien et le Droit de la Famille
1. La construction de tout édifice repose sur des piliers solides. A la Law Reform
Commission, on est d’avis que la Constitution, rédigée par le Professeur Abel de Smith,
et les Codes – qui furent rénovés par le Professeur Robert Louis Garron – sont les piliers
juridiques sur lesquels l’ile Maurice moderne s’est façonnée et s’est développée.
2. La Law Reform Commission a eu l’occasion l’an dernier (en Octobre) lors de la visite de
l’épouse du Professeur de Smith, Madame Barbara De Smith, de lui rendre hommage
pour sa contribution à la pensée juridique constitutionnelle mauricienne.
3. Nous rendons actuellement hommage au Professeur Garron pour son immense
contribution à l’évolution du Code Civil Mauricien (notamment le droit de la famille et le
droit des sûretés) et au développement du Code de Commerce.
4. Les Professeurs De Smith et Garron ont contribué au développement du Droit Mauricien.
Ils ont montré ce que doit être la méthodologie mauricienne de la réforme du Droit: d’une
part, étude empirique de la pratique du Droit Mauricien (notamment à travers des
consultations avec les parties concernées), et, d’autre part, recherche des meilleures
pratiques internationales. C’est cette méthodologie qui guide/inspire depuis les cinq
dernières
années
la
Law
Reform
Commission
dans
sa
tâche
de
révision/réforme/simplification du Droit.
5. Avant que le Professeur Garron nous livre son exposé sur le Code Civil Mauricien et le
Droit de la Famille, permettez-moi de passer la parole à Monsieur l’Attorney-General,
qui a voulu rendre hommage au Professeur Garron pour le travail remarquable qu’il a
accompli comme Conseiller à son Bureau de 1978 à 1982.
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Visit of Professor Garron in the context of Reform of Codes [June 2011]
Speech by Pierre Rosario DOMINGUE, Chief Executive Officer, Law Reform Commission of
Mauritius, on the Object of the Visit
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Background Note on Reform of Codes and Visit of Professor Robert
Louis Garron at LRC’s Invitation
(A) Object of Visit of Professor Garron to Mauritius
1. The Law Reform Commission is reviewing, at the request of Hon. Attorney-General, the
Code Civil Mauricien (CCM), the Code de Procédure Civile (CPC) and the Code de
Commerce (CC), with a view to recommending reforms thereto and to draft the
provisions in the Codes in both English and French languages. The Commission is also,
of its own initiative, reviewing the Criminal Code (based on the French Penal Code of
1810).
2. The review of the Codes is not a novel exercise for the Commission: it has already
submitted Reports on aspects of the Code Civil Mauricien: (a) Report (together with draft
Bill) on “Relationship of Children with Grand Parents and Other persons under the Code
Civil Mauricien” [June 2007]; (b) Report (together with draft Bill) about “Law on
Divorce” [December 2008].
3. The Commission has nonetheless – given the scale and complexity of the work, and the
nature of the tasks to be performed – considered it would be desirable to have recourse to
external resource persons who can assist us in our work. The Law Reform Commission
has thus invited Professor Robert Louis Garron, Professeur Honoraire à l’Université Paul
Cézanne (Aix-Marseille III) to visit Mauritius from 14 June to 1 July 2011 because of his
past outstanding contribution as «Conseiller du Ministre Mauricien de la Justice chargé
de la Réforme du Code Napoléon du début de 1978 à la fin de 1982» to the development
of the Codes and the laws of Mauritius.
(B) Contribution of Professor Garron to the Development of Laws of Mauritius
4. During the late 70s and the early 80s Professor Garron worked, in close collaboration with
the Father of the Nation and under the supervision of the then Solicitor-General, Mr. E.
Venchard, QC, on substantial reforms that were brought to the Codes inherited from the
French colonial period, mainly the Code Napoleon and the Code de Commerce [the
provisions of the Code de Procédure Civile were left unrevised, except those relating to
arbitration].
2
Visit of Professor Garron in the context of Reform of Codes [June 2011]
Speech by Pierre Rosario DOMINGUE, Chief Executive Officer, Law Reform Commission of
Mauritius, on the Object of the Visit
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------5. The reforms to the Code Napoleon concerned mainly the field of family law and the law of
persons.1 They stemmed from the need to adapt the law to the mores of society and the
social evolution, which had occurred since 1804: reforms about civil and religious
marriages,2 reforms relating to the status of spouses and the exercise of parental authority3
(including emancipation of women),4 reforms to the law of succession with new concepts
such as “le conjoint survivant comme héritier non-réservataire” and “l’usufruit du conjoint
survivant”.5
The reforms were also meant to ensuring that those norms and institutions which one would
expect to find in a civil code were incorporated in the Code Napoleon.6
The reforms pursued ‘une finalité mauricienne’, as is well illustrated with the concept of
'légitimation par adoption' [Articles 370 to 370-5 of the Coded Napoleon].
One may also give as example the concept of sûreté fixe & sûreté flottante, borrowed from
English law and incorporated in the Code Napoleon after transformation (Articles 2202 to
2203-7).7 While fixed and floating charges are, in English law, a surety available only to
companies, in Mauritian law natural persons too are entitled to have recourse to this device
as borrowers.
6. The Code de Commerce, whose numerous provisions had been repealed during the British
colonial period, also underwent reform.8 The aims of the reform were to bring the code in
line with contemporary commercial practice and to ensure that the domestic law was in
1
Vide Act No. 8 of 1980; Act No. 26 of 1980; Act No. 37 of 1980; Act No. 21 of 1981; Act No. 22 of 1981; Act No. 25
of 1981.
2
Vide R. Garron, “La Réforme du Code Napoléon relative aux Mariages Civils et Religieux”, (1982) 4 Mauritius Law
Review, 153-216.
3
Vide R. Garron, “La Réforme du Code Napoléon relative au Statut d'Époux et à l'Autorité Parentale”, (1982) 4
Mauritius Law Review, 83-151.
4
Vide E. Venchard, “La Femme Mauricienne et le Droit”, (1978) 2 Mauritius Law Review 17-31.
5
Vide R. Garron, “La Réforme du Code Napoléon relative au Droit Successoral et au Droit de la Famille”, (1980) 3
Mauritius Law Review, 39-81.
6
Rules governing the contract of insurance (Articles 1983-1 to 1983-92) were laid down by Act No. 7 of 1983 in the part
of the Code entitled 'Des contrats aléatoires'. The concepts of soustraitance and promotion immobilière were
incorporated in the Code Napoleon by Act No. 9 of 1983.
7
Vide R. Garron, “Un Exemple d'Interaction des Systèmes: Le Droit des Sûretés l'Ile Maurice”, In La Formation du
Droit National dans les pays de Droit Mixte: Systèmes Juridiques de Common Law et de Droit Civil (Ed. GRÉCO), at
pp. 137-143.
8
Vide, for instance, Act No. 10 of 1983, Act No. 21 of 1985, Act No. 28 of 1985, and Act No. 34 of 1985.
3
Visit of Professor Garron in the context of Reform of Codes [June 2011]
Speech by Pierre Rosario DOMINGUE, Chief Executive Officer, Law Reform Commission of
Mauritius, on the Object of the Visit
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------conformity with international treaty obligations concerning trade and transportation.9 The
evolution of the law in France was taken into account. The provisions of the Livre Premier
relating to sociétés (Articles 17-50) were thus borrowed from the French Loi No. 66-537 du
24 Juillet 1966 relative aux sociétés commerciales;10 the French Loi du 3 Janvier 1967
portant statut des navires et autres bâtiments de mer inspired the legislator when drafting
Articles 191 to 230 of the Code.11
7. Professor Garron has also enlightened the legal profession on the implications of
developments in French Case law on the interpretation of the provisions of the Criminal
Code. 12
8. Professor Garron has co-authored a textbook on the Framework for Banking
Transactions.13
9. Professor Garron has also contributed to the development of legal education in Mauritius;
he was Professor of Law (on contract) at the University of Mauritius during the period
1999-2001.
(C) Purpose of Mission at invitation of Law Reform Commission
10. Whilst reviewing/reforming the Codes, the Commission has considered it is its duty to
pay tribute to the achievements of Professor Garron in the development of the laws of
Mauritius, in particular the Codes. His contribution is unknown to the general public.
At that time, the only newspaper which drew the attention of the general public to his
work was the newspaper ADVANCE. In its issue of 9 Septembre 1982, there is an article
entitled "L'oeuvre colossale accomplie par le Professeur Garron sur le plan juridique:
La réforme du Code Napoléon a radicalement transformé la famille mauricienne".
9
Eg the Warsaw Convention of 1929 and the Hague Protocol of 1955 relating to Civil Aviation; the 1924 Bruxelles
Convention on Maritime Transportation.
10
Vide E. Venchard, R. Garron & G. Ramdewar, Codes Annotés de l'Ile Maurice: Code de Commerce et Code de
Procédure Civile (Port Louis, Best Graphics, 1998) at pp. 8-15.
11
Ibid. at pp. 23-33.
12
Vide R. Garron, “Commentaires d’Arrets: Escroquerie – Manoeuvres Frauduleuses; Faux en Ecriture”, (1980) 3
Mauritius Law Review, 127-138.
13
Robert Garron and Gerard Maziotta, “Les Techniques Bancaires”, 1 st edition in 1988 re-edited in 1996, translated
in English by Sir Maurice Rault and B. Gujadhur.
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Visit of Professor Garron in the context of Reform of Codes [June 2011]
Speech by Pierre Rosario DOMINGUE, Chief Executive Officer, Law Reform Commission of
Mauritius, on the Object of the Visit
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------11. During his visit, Professor Garron will be holding talks/conferences/discussions, inter
alia, on:
(a) “L’incrimination du faux et du mensonge en droit pénal”;
(b) «Le Code Civil Mauricien et le Droit de la Famille”;
(c) « L’égalité homme/femme à Maurice»
(d) «Le Droit foncier (la copropriété - les sociétés immobilières) et les Suretés»;
(e) “Le Code de Commerce Droit des activités Commerciales»; and
(f) “La Multipropriété en Temps Partagé”.
12. Professor Garron will also address issues relating to the review/reform of the Criminal
Code, the Code Civil Mauricien, the Code de Procédure Civile and the Code de
Commerce.
The Law Reform Commission has already highlighted in its ‘Background paper on the
Reform of the Codes’ (October 2010) that the current review/reform of the Codes is
being carried out from a historical and comparative perspective.
The historical context in which the Codes in this country have evolved since their
promulgation more than two centuries ago, which have led to the development of the
Mauritius legal system as a mixed or hybrid legal system, is being borne in mind. 14
The Codes are being compared with those in France, and in mixed legal systems, such as
that of Quebec, Louisiana, and Seychelles. Approaches taken in other jurisdictions on
issues covered by our Codes are also examined the more so as comparative lawyers no
longer put emphasis on the differences between the civil law and common law systems,
but rather on their commonality and how they are complementary.15
The reform options to meet the contemporary challenges are being examined in the light
of the socio-economic exigencies of our society in the context of globalization, whilst
bearing in mind that our legislature, even though borrowing rules from a variety of
14
Regarding the evolution of the Mauritius Legal System as a mixed legal system, vide P.R. Domingue, "The
historical development of the mixed legal system of Mauritius during the French and British colonial periods", (2002) 4
University of Mauritius Research Journal 61-93; also P.R. Domingue, "The historical development of the mixed legal
system of Mauritius since Independence", (2002) 4 University of Mauritius Research Journal 95-117.
15
M. Tancelin, « Problématique de la Mixité du Droit: Le Cas de deux Pays de l'Océan Indien, Maurice et les
Seychelles», (1981) VIII Annuaire des pays de l'Océan Indien 95-101, observes at pp. 100-101 that:
"Les écoles contemporaines de droit comparé mettent l'accent sur les ressemblances du droit civil et de la
common law à l'encontre des comparatistes des décennies précédentes qui se plaisaient à insister sur les
différences. On ne voit plus aujourd'hui d'opposition diamétrale sur le terrain de la technique juridique, mais
plutôt une sorte de complémentarité entre le système français et le système anglais pris comme archétypes. Les
droits mixtes de l'océan indien montrent comme tous les droits soumis à la même évolution historique que la
soi-disant opposition est largement factice ...”
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Visit of Professor Garron in the context of Reform of Codes [June 2011]
Speech by Pierre Rosario DOMINGUE, Chief Executive Officer, Law Reform Commission of
Mauritius, on the Object of the Visit
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------material sources, has always pursued ‘une finalité mauricienne’ thereby developing a
distinct corpus of Mauritian law.16
13. During his visit, Professor Garron will hold working sessions with the Attorney General’s
Office, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Judiciary, the legal
profession [Bar Council, Law Society and Chambre des Notaires] and other stakeholders.
14. Prof. Garron has paid courtesy visits to the President of the Republic, the Hon. Prime
Minister and the Hon. Chief Justice.
16
This aspect of Mauritian law was highlighted in the Report of the Committee on the Review of Legal Studies in
Mauritius, (1983) Journal of the University of Mauritius 162, which was chaired by Mr. Justice Rajsoomeer Lallah (as
he then was):
"[I]n spite of its origins, Mauritian Law ceased over the years to be partly English and partly French but has
developed into a significant body of law with a philosophy, doctrine and jurisprudence of its own ..."
R. Garron, «Le Droit Mixte: Notion et Fonction», In La Formation du Droit National dans les pays de Droit Mixte:
Systèmes Juridiques de Common Law et de Droit Civil, [Ed. GRÉCO (Groupement de Recherches Co-ordonnées 'Océan
Indien') du CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique), Presses Universitaires d'Aix-Marseille, 1989), at pp.
11, at 17-18 observed that:
"[Le Droit Mixte est] un Droit dont les institutions émanent de systèmes juridiques différents et résultent de
l'application cumulative ou de l'interaction de techniques qui appartiennent ou se rattachent à ces systèmes. Il
n'est pas suffisant que deux systèmes juridiques différents coexistent dans le territoire d'un seul Etat; encore
faut-il qu'un système agisse sur l'autre, et inversement. Cela est, en effet, nécessaire pour que naisse un véritable
Droit Mixte …
Pour qu'il y ait droit nouveau, pour que naisse un droit mixte spécifique, indépendant des deux systèmes
juridiques en présence, il faut et il suffit que les différentes institutions en confrontation perdent leur nature
propre. A ce moment-là, dans la mesure où ces institutions ne correspondent plus à leurs finalités ou à leurs
critères propres (c'est-à-dire à leurs finalités ou critères 'd'origine'), on peut dire alors qu'il y a création d'un droit
mixte spécifique et nouveau ...
[L]e législateur d'un pays de Droit mixte ne dispose pas de techniques juridiques nationales: il se doit d'utiliser
les diverses techniques des deux systèmes juridiques en vigueur, en l'occurrence, pour l'Ile Maurice, les
techniques juridiques françaises et britanniques. Pour accomplir une finalité spécifique et strictement nationale,
le législateur est souvent contraint de transformer l'une ou l'autre de ces techniques qui sont des 'instruments'
juridiques en les détournant carrément de leurs propres finalités. Par le fait même ce législateur crée un droit
national, un droit autonome à partir des institutions appartenant aux deux systèmes juridiques: le droit national
ainsi créé, bien que, par hypothèse autonome et spécifique, se caractérise donc par la mixité de ses origines".
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