Frans Legal Summary - Module 1-2-3 - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven PDF

## Summary - complete - Module 1-2-3 Français juridique (werkcollege) (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) ### Module 1: à la decouverte des grandes divisions du droit #### Le droit public - Règles l'organisation de l’État ainsi que les rapports entre l’État et les particuliers. - **Le droit constituti...

## Summary - complete - Module 1-2-3 Français juridique (werkcollege) (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) ### Module 1: à la decouverte des grandes divisions du droit #### Le droit public - Règles l'organisation de l’État ainsi que les rapports entre l’État et les particuliers. - **Le droit constitutionnel:** rules on the organization and exercise of public power, rights and obligations of citizens. - **Le droit administratif:** determines the organization of provinces, municipalities and public institutions, as well as the relationship between these administrations and individuals. - **Le droit fiscal:** rules for the fixation and collection of taxes and duties. - **Le droit pénal:** organizes repression and sanctions against those who commit offenses. - **Le droit international public:** rules for the relationship between states. #### Le droit privé - Rules for the relationship between individuals. - **Le droit civil:** considered common private law, ie. set of rules normally applicable to all individuals. - **Le droit commercial:** applicable to merchants in the context of their commercial activities. - **Le droit du travail = le droit social:** concerns the organization and rules of labor, social security. - **Le droit international privé:** rules for the relationship between individuals of different nationalities. #### Les autres branches juridiques - **Le droit des sociétés:** concerned with all rules relating to the establishment and operation of businesses. - **Le droit bancaire:** sets of rules applicable to operations and individuals performing them professionally. - **Le droit de la sécurité sociale:** rules that protect individuals against social risks, such as illness, maternity, disability, old age, etc. - **Le droit judiciaire:** all rules governing the operation of courts and proceedings in court. - **Le droit de la famille:** rules governing the relationships of groups of individuals united by a bond of lineage. - **Le droit communautaire:** rules on the European Union. - **Le droit l'environnement:** rules on the understanding, protection, use, management or restoration of the environment. - **Le droit d'obligations:** rules on the obligations of individuals to perform certain actions. - **Le droit des biens:** rules on the relationship between people and property. - **Le droit de concurrence:** all rules aimed at ensuring compliance with the principle of free competition.. - **Le droit du bail:** rules on the rights of the tenant to use their premises for a certain period. ### Module 2 Le droit privé #### Dossier 1 ##### Le droit civil #### 1.1 Identifier les personnes juridiques - **Les personnes juridiques** exercise rights and fulfill obligations. - **Les personnes physiques** are human beings. Any person is a legal person (**personnalité juridique**) - **Les personnes morales** are a union of individuals and property that have legal personality. We distinguish legal persons of public and private law. ##### Les personnes morales de droit public - The State, municipality, province, the European Commission. - **Public institutions:** manage a specific public service activity. ##### Les personnes morales de droit privé - **Companies:** purpose is to make profits. - **Associations:** have a non-profit purpose. - **Trade unions:** protect professional interests. - **Professional orders:** professional associations to which members are required to join. #### 1.2 Droits et obligations des personnes juridiques ##### 1.2.1 Les droits - **Rights are classified as either pecuniary or extra-pecuniary** - **Pecuniary rights**: rights are estimable in money. - **Real rights:** rights exercised by a person over a thing. - **Personal rights:** rights exercised by one person over another. - **Intellectual property rights:** artistic, literary, industrial and commercial rights. - **Extra-pecuniary rights** are attached to the person and are not estimable in money. - **Personal rights:** rights to protect the elements of one's personality. - **Family rights:** rights such as custody of children, spousal support, right to education... - **Political rights:** freedom of thought, expression, association, religion. - **Economic and social rights:** right to work, social security... ##### 1.2.2 Les obligations = verbintenissen **The source of obligations** - **Legal obligations** arise from the law. - **Contractual obligations** arise from contracts. - **(Quasi) Delictual obligations** arise from a delict. **The content of obligations** - **To do** (p.e. obligation to work). - **Not to do** (p.e. obligation of a landowner not to build on neighbor's land) - **To give** (p.e. obligation to deliver) **The object of obligations** - **Obligation of means:** the person is not obligated to achieve an end result, only to use all means possible to reach it. - **Obligation of result:** the person guarantees a certain result. #### 1.3 Le contrat ##### 1.3.1 Conditions of validity - **Agreement of the parties** - **Capacity of the parties** - **The subject matter of the contract** **A defect in consent** - **Error** - **Fraud** - **Violence** ##### 1.3.2 The main types of contracts - **Contract of sale:** the seller is obliged to deliver the goods to the buyer who is obliged to pay the price. - **Lease contract:** the lessor is obliged to make a thing available to the lessee for a fee, for a certain period of time. - **Contract of transport:** the carrier undertakes to transport a person or thing from one place to another, for a fee. - **Loan contract:** the lender is obliged to give a thing to the borrower who is obliged to return it. - **Contract of donation:** the donor is obliged to give a thing to the donee. - **Contract of partnership:** several people decide to pool their resources. - **Employment contract:** the employee is obliged to work for the employer under instruction, for a fee. - **Independent contract:** the person, for a fee, undertakes to perform a work for the account of another person. - **Insurance contract:** the insurer is obliged to provide compensation to the insured if an event occurs. #### 1.4 La responsabilité ##### 1.4.1 Criminal responsibility - Criminal responsibility is triggered in the case of infringement of the Criminal Code committed by natural or legal persons. ##### 1.4.2 Civil responsibility - **The fault** - **Contractual fault:** failure to comply with contractual obligations. - **Delictual fault:** intentional act prohibited by the law. - **Quasi-delictual fault:** fault is not intended, but must be proven. - **The damage**: pecuniary or non-pecuniary loss. - **The causal link**: the act/conduct must directly lead to the damage. - **Harm**: damage sustained, damage, tort. ### Module 3 Le droit public #### Dossier 1 #### Le droit constitutionel 1. **The Belgian State is a hereditary constitutional monarchy, a representative and parliamentary democracy and a state governed by the rule of law.** ##### 1.1 The Belgian State is a hereditary constitutional monarchy - **Monarchy:** the Head of State is the King. - **Hereditary:** the power is passed down through the bloodline (primogeniture). - **Constitution:** sets out the general lines of government organization, the roles of the institutions and the relationship between the institutions and the citizens. - **The King's power is limited by the Constitution.** - **The Constitution:** written document laying out the most important aspects of the Belgian legal system and establishing the organization of the State. - **Revision procedure:** it takes place in several phases and requires consent of a majority in both chambers. - **The King:** is above the law, not subject to any minister. - **Countersigning:** is the requirement that a minister sign a Royal decree. - **The role of the King:** includes representation, influence and the power to enact law. ##### 1.2 The Belgian State is a representative and parliamentary democracy - **Representative democracy:** the people do not directly exercise legislative power, but rather choose representatives (parliamentary members) to do so. - **Parliamentary democracy:** the members of Parliament are elected by the people and the government is accountable to the Parliament. - **History of suffrage:** Initially it was limited to those who paid taxes, then became mandatory, universal suffrage in 1919 for men, and in 1948 for women. - **Electoral system**: - **First-past-the-post**: the candidate on top of the list of the party is elected. - **Preferential vote:** voters can cast their ballot in favor of their preferred candidate on the party list. - **Official member:** fills a vacant seat. - **Substitute member:** fills a vacant seat in place of the official member. - **Blank vote:** a voter can choose not to vote for any candidate. - **Proxy voting**: a person can vote on behalf of another person. - **Electoral threshold**: minimum percentage of votes required to be elected. ##### 1.3 The Belgian State is a state governed by the rule of law. - **State governed by the rule of law:** public authorities exercise their power within the limits of the law. - **The citizen is able to challenge a decision made by the public authorities or a court decision.** - **The judiciary is independent from the political authority**. - **The judicial system is able to sanction the political authorities if they violate the law.** - **The rule of law includes the protection of fundamental rights.**