CYIL vol. 7 (2016)

115

CYIL 7 ȍ2016Ȏ

THE CONCEPTUAL ROLE OF HABITUAL RESIDENCE

recommandation ne porte aucune atteinte à la validité en matière de statut personnel

des actes des autorités religieuses dont relèvent les réfugiés russes et arméniens dans

les pays où la compétence de ces autorités est reconnue.

It is recommended that the personal status of Russian and Armenian refugees shall

be determined in countries in which previous law of their respective countries is no

longer recognised, either by reference to the law of their country of domicile or of

habitual residence, or, if neither applies, by reference to the law of the country in

which they reside. This recommendation shall not in any way jeopardize the validity

of of documents related to personal status of Russian and Armenian refugees granted

by the religious authorities in countries where the competence of such authorities is

recognised.

In the case of the non-applicability of both dispositions, the personal status of

refugees was regulated by the law of the country where they resided. The Arrangement

emanated from the vertical order of connecting factors; it also emanated from the

reality of life and not from an overestimated and protean idea. Such a contractual

result was practical. Personal status and capacity were governed by the law of the state

to which the refugee and his family were attached. Parties to the arrangement accepted

an alternative and hierarchical legal solution at the same time. A party could choose

domicile or habitual residence as a connecting factor, though both places could have

been coincident. Residence became a subsidiary factor in case of

non liquet

situations.

Divorce of marriage was resolved in the same alternative manner. The connecting

factor of nationality was exchanged for domicile or habitual residence.

Il est recommandé qu’en matière de divorce soit considérée comme loi nationale du

réfugié russe ou arménien, soit la loi de son domicile ou de sa résidence habituelle,

soit à défaut, la loi de sa résidence.

It is recommended that in questions relating to divorce the national law of a Russian

or Armenian refugee shall be either the law of his domicile or habitual residence, or,

if neither applies, the law of the country in which he resides.

Germany accepted the arrangement even though their national legislation was

in accordance with the Hague conventions. Art. 29 of Introductory Law to the

Civil Code

(Einführungsgesetz zum Bürgerlichen Gesetzbuche)

of 1896 referred to the

national law to which the stateless person previously belonged.

According to this

Reichsgesetzblatt (RGBl.), 1896, p. 604, Artikel 29: „Gehört eine Person keinem Staate an, so werden

ihre Rechtsverhältnisse, soweit die Gesetze des Staates, dem eine Person angehört, für maßgebend

erklärt sind, nach den Gesetzen des Staates beurtheilt, dem die Person zuletzt angehört hat, und, wenn

sie auch früher einem Staate nicht angehört hat, nach den Gesetzen des Staates, in welchem sie ihren

Wohnsitz und in Ermangelung eines Wohnsitzes ihren Aufenthalt hat oder zu der maßgebenden Zeit

gehabt hat.“