The 30-Second Trick for England Essay Topics for 5th Grade

The 30-Second Trick for England Essay Topics for 5th Grade England Essay Topics for 5th Grade - the Story Before present your speech, it's critical to get it written. The essays must feature over five sources and a complete bibliography. If you are feeling confident about your essay-writing abilities, you can definitely branch out into longer and more elaborate essays. It's possible to find more information regarding students' term papers here. School tests aren't powerful. Students are entitled to a wide array of monetary prizes. They should be allowed to pray in school. General information Students that are new to the topic of social studies must be ready for in-depth education at their initial lessons. Order top-notch essay at the moment and certified specialists will do their very best to supply you with higher quality at fair price. Chemistry is a subject which, basically, supplies you with useful information regarding the different substances or forms of materials that compose the physical world around us and the way in which they behave or react with one another. In this sort of scripting, subject study is a considerable facet. So, you need to make sure to follow along with the instructions while writing an essay. Whether it is a 3-month boondoggle in the summertime, or a brief week long jaunt in spring. 1 leading thing England is well-known for is Big Ben. After you have some ideas, you may then begin to think of any particular issues related to those topics that you're especially passionate about. Having selected a very good topic to argue about, at this point you will need to make an argumentative essay outline. Sure, you may have a particular topic assigned to you. Read and analyze some persuasive essay examples to find out more in regards to the structure and vocabulary employed within this kind of essay. Why Almost Everything You've Learned About England Essay Topics for 5th Grade Is Wrong For instance, here is among the ideal place to get essays on the internet you can go to. On the opposite side, acquiring a list of good persuasive essay topics is inadequate. Without a suitable content, fantastic research paper topics won't make sense. A student ought to keep in contact with the hottest trends and know which persuasive essay topics are related to sound convincing in regards to defending personal opinions. Students can't decide on the very first idea they see on the internet or in the print media it's about choosing very good research paper topics on the relevant troubles. By decreasing the introduction to two critical sentences, my students had the ability to compose a focused beginning to their essay, which likewise provided a form and a direction they could follow for the remainder of their analysis, helping them to access the higher mark bands. As a consequence, such students start looking for the best essay help to make certain that their project is going to be produced at the maximal level in agreement with all academic standards. Your students have a lot of personal experiences to write about in regards to family. There are plenty of interesting truth about England. Every family needs to have a all-natural disaster survival program. There are a number of fun things you can do, and a great deal of famous sites you are able to visit. An 8th grader should learn to research, he or she should practice writing thesis statements, the outline procedure should be mastered, he or she should understand how to compose a rough draft, and in text citations will need to get mastered. Grader marcy rebello put within this period of time. Yearly driving tests ought to be mandatory for the initial five years after obtaining a license. They should be mandatory over a certain age.

Christian Motif in Dracula Free Essays

Even though the novel portrays Anta-Charlatans values and beliefs, Abram Stoker as able to use different methods in his novel to show how the Catholic beliefs were useful as a protection towards evil, and to be able to compare the powers between good and evil. Throughout the novel, the reader can plainly notice some of the characters’ transformation from being part of the English Church to a Catholic one. One of the clearest examples is Jonathan Harder, the English Churchman. We will write a custom essay sample on Christian Motif in Dracula or any similar topic only for you Order Now When he first received the rosary and crucifix from the lady, he had mixed feelings since his church saw those objects as idolatrous. However, the character develops an â€Å"obvious social and religious tolerance† (Stars, D. Bruno) towards the Catholic Church. As Harder returns to Transylvania, he’s the opposite as he first left – instead of being alone, unsure and Protestant, he is now In a group, experienced, and quasi- Catholic. † (Stars, D. Bruno) There are many Instances throughout the novel where Abram Stoker makes an allegory to the Bible. The supernatural being Drachma represents the concept of Satan since his descriptions are resoundingly satanic: hen enraged his eyes light like â€Å"the flames of hell-fire blazed behind them† (Stoker, Abram) and he flashes a â€Å"smile that Judas in hell might be proud of† (Stoker, Abram) One direct allegory to the Bible’s Book of Revelation’s four houses of the apocalypse was when Drachma appeared in a â€Å"cal ©chew, with four horses† (Stoker, Abram). Also the use of capitalization of personal pronouns in reference to Drachma, which is generally reserved to God, means that Drachma is presented on a par with God. This continuous SE of Catholic allegory helps clarify the purpose of Broker’s usage of Catholicism as a motif. The fight between good and evil also help portray the purpose of Stoker’s use of Catholicism. In order for Seward, Mina, Harder, Morris, and Helping to defeat Drachma they had to work together with both technology and their own faith. The character would often find themselves asking for God’s help and saying the phase â€Å"God’s will be done. † With the increase in their Catholic faith, the characters were bled to believe in their religious tools and defeat Drachma. With faith and hope on Catholicism, they were able to achieve their goal. The use of Catholicism as a motif evidently supports the idea of Drachma being a pro-Catholic propaganda. Stoker was able to fulfill his purpose by spreading his ideals and beliefs of the Catholic Church. Stoker was able to depict Protestants and Catholics peacefully working together, however he did not include the Protestant faith to the destruction of Drachma (Stars, D. Bruno). How to cite Christian Motif in Dracula, Papers

The Common Law Derivative Action in Hong Kong Essay Example

The Common Law Derivative Action in Hong Kong Essay School of Accountancy ACY 3151 D– Company Law Preserve The Common Law Derivative Action in Hong Kong Presented to Professor C. K. LOW Submitted by Tony BAI Dongyi; Ashley CHEN Xi; Ri REN Xinyu; Zoe ZHOU Beinan 30 April 2010 Abstract This paper is a response to the First Phase Companies Ordinance Rewrite Consultation Paper Question 7 whether we should abolish the common law derivative action (the CDA) currently retained by sec. 168BC (4) in the amended Companies Ordinance (2004). This paper firstly briefly introduces the current co-existence of the common law derivative action and the statutory derivative action (the SDA) and figure out potential problems which lead us to think about whether we should abolish the CDA. The main part of this paper discusses five arguable aspects from both the con sides and the pro sides of whether abolishing the CDA. This paper discusses the CCASS system which disables many shareholders to use the SDA; the rights f minority shareholders of offshore companies who cannot use the SDA; the international context regarding the CDA in many other common law jurisdictions; the potential confusions and complications with and without the co-existence and some pitfalls of the CDA which are minor and can be ignored. On the discussion of the above five aspects, the authors find that the CDA overrides the SDA in respect of each issue at the current time in Hong Kong, therefore this paper reaches a conclusion that Hong Kong should preserve the CDA at the current stage. We will write a custom essay sample on The Common Law Derivative Action in Hong Kong specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Common Law Derivative Action in Hong Kong specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Common Law Derivative Action in Hong Kong specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Upon the disagreement of the abolishment of the CDA, the authors also provide some further recommendations to help improve the current situations regarding the co-existence of the CDA and the SDA. TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract2 Table of Contents3 1. Introduction5 1. 1 The Facts of Foss v Harbottle Case5 1. 2 The Rules of Foss v Harbottle Case5 1. 3 The Common Law Derivative Action6 1. 4 The Drawbacks of the Common Law Derivative Action7 1. 5 Introduction of SDA into Companies Ordinance7 1. 6 Problems of the Co-existence of the CDA and the SDA8 2. Five Aspects Regarding the Co-existence of CDA and SDA9 2. 1 The CCASS System9 2. 2 Members of Offshore Companies11 2. 3 The International Context of Derivative Action13 2. 4 Confusions and Complications Arisen without CDA15 2. 4. 1 General Discussion16 2. 4. 2 The MDA May Not Continue to Work17 2. 5 Other Drawbacks of the CDA Can be Ignored at the Current Stage18 3. Hong Kong Should Preserve the CDA19 4. Further Recommendations20 4. 1 Slight Amend sec. 16820 4. 1. 1 Extend the Scope of Qualified Plaintiff of the SDA20 4. 1. 2 Only Keep the CDA for Shareholders of Offshore Companies20 4. Require Offshore Companies to Accept Hong Kong Statue20 4. 3 Similar Legal System in the Region20 5. Conclusions22 Bibliography23 1. Introduction Before we discuss whether we should abolish or preserve the common law derivative action in Hong Kong, we would like to briefly introduce the background of the leading case (Foss v Harbottle) which established the principles of the common law derivative act ion as well as the pitfalls of it. Then we will mention the statutory derivative action which was the statutory regime introduced to deal with these pitfalls of the common law derivative action. At last we present the problems faced by the co-existence of these two derivative actions which lead to this paper’s main topic whether we should abolish or preserve the common law derivative action. 1. 1 The Facts of Foss v Harbottle Case Victorian Park Company was set up to develop parks and gardens. Harbottle was one of the eight promoters of this company. Foss was one shareholder, who brought a law suit alleging that the promoters sold a land to the company at a very high price. But Harbottle argued that Foss, the plaintiff, could not represent the Company to sue the promoters. 1. 2 The Rules of Foss v Harbottle Case[1] The judges in Foss v Harbottle held that the courts should not interfere in the internal management of companies. Because the company is a separate legal entity, if something wrong is done to the company, only the company itself can sue and that is the so called Proper Plaintiff Rule. The effect of this rule is to eliminate vexatious litigation by troublesome minority shareholders. However, the rule was also criticized by many researchers. If the directors of the company do something wrong, they will of course not have the incentive to make the company bring law suits against themselves. Therefore the minority shareholders cannot have the rights to get the wrongdoers to pay remedies to the company and it is to some extent unfair. Due to this reason, later, four exceptions to the rule were established to try to solve this problem. It is held that the Proper Plaintiff Rule will not apply if the relevant transaction †¢ ? is ultra vires or illegal; †¢ ? requires the sanction of a special majority; †¢ ? infringes the personal rights of a shareholder; or †¢ ? amounts to a fraud on the minority. 1. 3 The Common Law Derivative Action The exceptions to the Proper Plaintiff Rule in Foss v Harbottle allow the minority shareholders under some limited conditions to sue on behalf of the company. The common law derivative action (the CDA) is applied based on these exceptions. There are two basic requirements for applying the CDA: †¢ The alleged wrong or breach of duty cannot be ratified by a simple majority of the members; †¢ The alleged wrongdoers are in control of the company, so that the company cannot sue by itself. 1. 4 The Drawbacks of the Common Law Derivative Action Although the exceptions to rules in Foss v Harbottle open a door for the shareholders to take derivative actions, there are still some drawbacks in the CDA which make it not so effective to protect the rights of the minority shareholders. Just like the Australian Senate Standing Committee stated in its Report: Despite a recent tendency towards relaxation, the narrow rules of standing make it difficult for a shareholder to take legal action. There are some obstacles that confront shareholders in bringing litigation in CDA. These obstacles include: †¢ ? There are some defects in exceptions to the rule in Foss v Harbottle; †¢ ? The expense of litigation is very high; †¢ ? It is very difficult for shareholders to obtain information from the company. These drawbacks will be discussed more detailed in later part of this paper. 1. 5 Introduction of SDA into Companies Ordinance Because the CDA have the above pitfalls and cannot adequately protect the rights of the minority shareholders, the SDA was introduced in many common law jurisdictions. For example, SDA was introduced to Singapore and New Zealand in 1993 and Australia in 2001. In Hong Kong, SDA was also written into Companies Ordinance in 2005. Unlike CDA, the court will consider the good faith of the shareholders and the best interests of the company instead of those exceptions to the rule in Foss v Harbottle. In addition, the ratification by a general meeting will not stop the derivative proceedings which mean the hurdle to apply the SDA is relatively lower than that of the CDA. 1. 6 Problems of the Co-existence of the CDA and the SDA Many jurisdictions abolished the CDA after introducing the SDA, for example, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the UK[2]. But Hong Kong currently reserves the CDA. The co-existence of the CDA and the SDA may cause some problems such as confusions and complications and this was concerned by the Court of Final Appeal in Waddington case in 2008. This directly leads to the Question 7 in the Consultation Paper. In the following session the authors will discuss the potential problems caused by the co-existence and rationally pro ve that indeed these potential problems should not be the reasons to deprive the shareholders of the rights to apply the CDA in Hong Kong because these potential problems are overridden by the benefits brought by the CDA. . Five Aspects Regarding the Co-existence of CDA and SDA In this part the authors will focus on five aspects regarding whether or not abolishing the CDA. In each aspect the authors will compare and analyze both the reasons to abolish and preserve the CDA and rationally prove that the CDA should not be abolished in respect of all the five aspects. 2. 1 The CCASS System Under Section 168BC (Members may bring or intervene in proceedings) (1) of Companies Ordinance, it states clearly that only members of a company can bring a SDA on behalf of company. However, there is no clear requirement whether the plaintiff has to be a member in order to bring a CDA, and the judge is granted discretion to decide. Therefore those shareholders who are not members can still bring a lawsuit on behalf of the company under the CDA. Hong Kong at the current stage still uses the CCASS system for the stock exchange under which the vast majority of shares owned by the public are not held by themselves, but actually held in nominee account which means those shareholders indeed are not registered to be the members of a company even they invest their money and buy shares of that company. 3] Therefore they are not qualified to apply the SDA under sec. 168BC (1). Moreover the nominees who are often huge financial institutions and are custodians of huge numbers of shares from a lot of shareholders may not have the incentive to bring the lawsuit for some minority shareholders. Further even one shareholder wants to suit the directors on behalf of the company ot her directors may not want to do this therefore the nominee may not be authorized to take derivative actions just because one shareholder’s requirement. Then the shareholder may have to withdraw the shares and again deposit them into the CCASS System which is very troublesome in practice and is a waste of money and time. The lag of time is a major concern because it is a great obstacle for the shareholders to take timely action. What is even worse, it is often the case that when the shareholders have the incentive to take such actions the company is already in a difficult financial position and the SFC may block the transaction and register of the shares of the company. Hence the shareholders once withdraw the shares he or she may not be able to deposit them again since the block set up by the SFC. Therefore it is almost very unlikely for a minority shareholder who is not a member of the company to take the statutory derivative action against the directors under the current version of amended Companies Ordinance (2004) and the practical CCASS System. However as stated above the CDA does not strictly require that only members can be qualified to apply. Therefore CDA is a much more feasible proceeding for Hong Kong shareholders than the SDA and actually CDA is almost the only feasible way for the minority shareholders of the listed company to take action (Non-listed companies and private companies do not use the CCASS System to exchange shares). Indeed we observe that from July 15, 2005 when the SDA came into effect most cases applying the SDA are related to private companies which support the opinion the CDA is still very important for shareholders of listed companies. Upon the above discussion the authors reach the conclusion that since the shares of the listed companies are exchanged using the CCASS System and the current SDA is only applicable to members, Hong Kong now should still preserve the CDA. 2. 2 Members of Offshore Companies As will be discussed later in this paper, one of the most important reasons to keep CDA is that it protects the Hong Kong shareholders of companies which are registered outside Hong Kong but have no places of business in Hong Kong in essence offshore companies. However, many people think this is not an effective protection because the procedure is too complicated that it is highly unlikely for small shareholders to take such an action. The right to perform CDA is theoretically feasible but is highly unlikely in reality. Following flow chart shows simply how a shareholder of an oversea company could take action: [pic] First he should go to the Hong Kong court, ideally, get the order. Then the order will be taken to register at a court in Singapore. If that court allows enforcing the Hong Kong order, then they issue another order to enforce it on the company. This might not be the end of the story; the remedy is given to the company, so it is subject to the company’s management’s decision whether to distribute it to the shareholders or not. Again this decision will be made by those directors who are sued in the case and they may not be willing to do so. Therefore this CDA is unlikely to be taken by small shareholders to spend huge cost in exchange of the remedy or no remedy at all. However this cannot constitute the reason to simply abolish the CDA. The CDA is difficult to apply however it is the only way for those shareholders of the offshore companies to protect their rights. To illustrate this section 2 of the Companies Ordinance is reproduced here â€Å"Specified Corporation† means a Hong Kong company or a non-Hong Kong company. (Added 30 of 2004 s. 2)[4] and s168 BC (1) only allows the members of specified corporations to take SDA. As mentioned above, there are a large number of companies (Around 80% according to the HKEX) incorporated outside Hong Kong but with Hong Kong shareholders. It can be inferred that amongst those huge number of companies many have no place of business in Hong Kong, which are neither Hong Kong companies nor non-Hong Kong companies within the definition of specified corporation. Therefore these offshore companies do not qualify under sec. 2 hence sec. 168 BC (1) cannot apply. Analyzing sec. 2 and sec. 168 it is established that shareholders of offshore companies can only apply the CDA because the CDA does not have similar restrictions. The CDA is the only way to help minority shareholders in overseas company therefore Hong Kong should preserve the CDA. The authors recognize that the CDA has high huddle to prove, high costs to incur and complex procedure to apply. However shareholders of offshore companies can only use CDA and we should not deprive the right to use CDA just because that it is complex to use. That is not the purpose of legislation and the spirit of law to develop a fair society. After all, complexity to get the remedies is much better than no way to get the remedies. The CDA can preserve the ability of the members of foreign companies to bring a derivative action in Hong Kong. The rights of these Hong Kong shareholders of such offshore companies to bring a CDA as one more option to defend their own interest may be deprived once CDA is abolished, thus CDA cannot be enforceable in the courts of Hong Kong in any events which is not fair to them. Moreover the existence of CDA also provides a deterrent force to proposed offenders such as offshore companies’ directors seeking for self-interest. 2. 3 The International Context of Derivative Action The judgment given by Ribeiro PJ in the Waddington case might be the most direct fuse for this issue (para. 32)[5]: The co-existence of both the statutory and common law regimes is unusual in an international context and is a source of confusion and complication. It would appear to be appropriate for the statutory regime to replace the common law derivative action altogether. This question deserves to be addressed by the Administration and the Legislature as soon as possible. He addressed that the co-existence is unusual and might raise confusion. This concern is further addressed in the consultation paper. The discussion here then will start with these points in 2. 3 as well as 2. 4 and expand to the inherent weaknesses with CDA in 2. 5. As is mentioned by Ribeiro and the consultation paper, it is unusual in an international context for both the SDA and the CDA to co-exist. So that practices in other jurisdictions where common law applies are reviewed as a reference. Actually, in contrast to Hong Kong, many jurisdictions replaced the CDA after the introduction of SDA. [6] [pic] Take New Zealand as an example, in its s 165(6) Company Act 1993, it regulates: Except as provided in this section (this section refers to section 165 which deals with statutory derivative action), a shareholder is not entitled to bring or intervene in any proceedings in the name of, or on behalf of, a company or a related company. [7] Apparently, the CDA is excluded. However the authors further notice that all above countries are representative ones in terms of developed western countries. The fact that many common law jurisdictions abolish CDA cannot prove the reasonableness of the abolition. This just represents what the situation is in western countries but not represent what we should do in Hong Kong. We should notice that HK has very different economic and political environment as those western jurisdictions and cannot just copy what they do. Thus people cannot suppose this of great value of reference for Hong Kong. Therefore Singapore and Malaysia may be of much more value when considering whether or not abolishing the CDA after introducing the SDA. These three common law jurisdictions have many similarities. All these three are in the Southeast Asia whose economy took off during 1970s and then the structure of the society changed and attention are more focused on developing financial centre and attract more foreign direct investment. Foreign companies are welcomed to be listed in the stock exchanges and local residents get involved in these financial transactions. The economy in these three jurisdictions is now facing similar pressure and the protection of minority shareholders’ is of great importance in order to make the public confident n the financial markets and the economy. Similar stock exchanges, similar financial positions and similar fiscal policies make it valuable to consider what Singapore and Malaysia does in terms of the derivative action when consider the legislation in Hong Kong. Both Singapore and Malaysia preserves CDA after introduction of SDA. Take Singapore as an example it adopted the SDA in its Com panies Bills sec. 216 A and sec. 216 B in 1993 however it still keeps the CDA and only regards the SDA as an addition to the CDA to make the sets of derivative actions complete. [8] Different jurisdictions should consider their own specific situations and only refer to other jurisdictions of the same economy and political situations to establish or revise for the most effective legal system. Regarding to Singapore and Malaysia, as well as the unique situations of Hong Kong to build an international financial centre, the CDA should be preserved at this stage to make sure each investor can be granted sufficient right to protect their investment and make sure that Hong Kong has healthy financial markets and regulated companies’ behaviors. 2. 4 Confusions and Complications Arisen without CDA The second claim made by the CFA in Waddington case is that the co-existence of the SDA and the CDA is a source of confusions and complications. [9] The as was addressed in the Consultation Paper in 2003, the CDA and the SDA differ not only in terms of form, but also in substantive issues. Under SDA, a member could, with leave of court, take the company to the court. According to s168BC (3), grant of leave requires: the action appears prima facie in the interest of the company; a serious question to be tried; the company is actually not acting; and there is a written notice. On the other hand, under CDA, the exceptions to the Foss rule must be proved. Where ultra vires acts, special resolution, infringement of rights, fraud on minority must be proved and satisfied. In addition, the effects of ratification by the board of directors also differ. The most confused part might be that the company is the plaintiff under SDA whilst a defendant under CDA. Some scholar mentioned in his work that: The retention of common law may even create the uncertainty and confusion as to what constitutes the lex fori. [10] Recall that in New Zealand, the CDA is abolished. B. Matthew argued that one of the intentions is to avoid confusion which was raised in an early Canadian case Rogers v Bank of Montreal. : To avoid the uncertainty of whether a derivative action may be brought under the oppression remedy as well as via the statutory leave procedure, and whether the statutory leave requirement acts to the exclusion of actions under one of the exceptions to Foss v Harbottle. [11] However the authors do not regard the above confusions will be sufficient reasons to abolish the CDA. The following are the arguments of some general discussions. 2. 4. 1 General Discussions The co-existence arrangement of the CDA and the SDA has been in place for about 5 years since July 2005, it has not caused any major legal problems. It has never been a source of confusion and complication. Besides, Section 168BC (4) states that the SDA provisions â€Å"shall not affect any common law right of a member of a specified corporation to bring proceedings on behalf of the specified corporation†. 12] In other words, unlike the law in other jurisdictions which abolishes the CDA, the Bill allows the co-existence of the CDA and SDA. This has been done because Hong Kong is unique in the sense that there are a large number of companies incorporated outside Hong Kong, but with Hong Kong shareholders. And there are also safeguards in the Company Ordinance to prevent duplicative CDA and SDA under section 168BE and section 168BC (5) which are reproduced as following. Section 168BE: Where leave has been granted to a member of a pecified corporation under section 168BC(3) and the member, in the exercise of any common law right, subsequently brings proceedings on behalf of the specified corporation in respect of the same cause or matter, or subsequently intervenes in the proceedings in question to which the specified corporation is a party, the court may— (a) order to be struck out or amended any pleading or the indorsement of any writ in the proceedings brought under the common law, or the intervention under the common law, or anything in such pleading or indorsement; and (b) order the proceedings brought under the common law, or the intervention under the common law, to be stayed or dismissed or judgment to be entered accordingly. Section 168BC (5): The court may dismiss an application for leave under subsection (3) if the applicant has, in the exercise of any common law right. [13] This shows that in 2004 when amending the Companies Ordinance, the legislator had expressed concern over this problem and tried to avoid confusion. Thirdly, no such confusions regarding which derivative action to use will actually arises because members of private and non listed companies will of course choose the SDA since it is much more convenient and those shareholders of listed companies and offshore companies will of course choose the CDA since they cannot use the SDA therefore we do not see much possibility of confusions arising because of the co-existence. Therefore we should preserve the CDA. 2. 4. 2 The MDA Currently we can take multiple derivative actions (MDA) only under CDA as affirmed by the decision made by Court of Final Appeal in Waddington Ltd v Thomas Chan Chun Hoo. Waddington case introduced a very important way for minority shareholders of the associate to sue the directors of the specific corporation however that case is based on CDA. Although in response to the comments made by the Court of Final Appeal in that case, the extension of SDA to cover MDA has been considered by Standing Committee on Company Law Reform (SCCLR) recently, it has not been really passed yet now. Once we abolish CDA which is the legal basis of MDA Waddington will not longer apply and MDA may come to an end. Therefore that will become a source of confusions as people may wonder whether MDA can be used without the CDA. Therefore the rights of concerned person have to be safeguarded before the legislation of MDA. It is therefore safer to preserve CDA at this stage to protect the rights under the MDA and avoid confusions. 2. 5 Other Drawbacks of the CDA Can be Ignored at the Current Stage Now comes the inherent weaknesses and drawbacks with CDA which can actually be ignored. First, the Foss rule is complicated and instable. Someone even call the Foss rule the deepest mystery of company law. 14] The rule is obscure and outdated. Much of the cases were decided years ago and it’s hard to reconcile all those decided cases. As Parlie Choo mentioned in his work what exactly amounted to a fraud on the minority has been conflicting and difficult. [15] The importance and extent of ratification was unclear And also, the court seems unwilling to get involved with the internal management of companies. [16] Some exemptions are actually hard to be satisfied constitute the second weakness of CDA. Exemptions must be proved under CDA, failing to do so the plaintiff failed the trial. Fraud on minority might be the most representative one. The court will collect shareholders’ opinions as to decide whether fraud exists. In cases where the wrongdoer is also the controlling shareholder, this is extremely difficult to prove. So injustice exists when the wrongdoer got the majority control. The problem is most severe with listed public companies. Thus, CDA easily fails to protect the small shareholders effectively which means it fails the initial purpose of derivative action. Last but not least, in most cases, the costs of the proceedings must be borne by the individual or minority shareholder who commences the action. As we recall from previous, the degree of evidence differs under each scenario. And we make the assumption that the more evidence to be collected the higher cost. Under SDA, the hurdle is actually low and the company may take over the case as well as the cost. However under CDA, the exceptions are very strict requirements and the shareholder is responsible for the case from the beginning to the end. As Dr Y. C. Choong said, under CDA cost can be crippling as they have to show that he has the locus standi (the right) to sue in a preliminary hearing. [17] However as we say above those people can choose the SDA for easy legal proceedings but those people who cannot use the SDA have to use the CDA. And we should not deprive their rights just because that the CDA is relatively complex. Therefore these issues can be regarded as minor issues and should be ignored at the current stage since the Companies Ordinance has not been perfect. 3. Preserve the Common Law Derivative Action in Hong Kong On the balance of the above five issues the authors think that we should preserve the CDA in Hong Kong at the current stage. 4. Further Recommendations 4. 1 Slight amend the Companies Ordinance 4. 1. 1 Option1[18] Abolish the CDA for specified corporations since the shareholders of those companies can use the SDA. Keep the CDA for offshore companies. Furthermore the MDA should be recognized by the Companies Ordinance and base it on the SDA. 4. 1. 1 Option2[19] Extend the SDA to overseas companies and abolish the CDA. any person who, to the satisfaction of the court, has an interest in the relief claimed in the proceedings, whether legal or equitable. [20] Furthermore the MDA should be recognized by the Companies Ordinance and base it on the SDA. 4. 2 Regulate the offshore compani es Hong Kong may amend the Listing Rules to require the offshore companies to sign to accept the regulation of Hong Kong Statue therefore the minority shareholders may be able to sue under the SDA. However even that is the situation the directors may not have the assets in Hong Kong and remedy is still hard to get in practice. Therefore we have the third suggestion which is a similar legal system in the Region 4. 3 Similar law system in the Region Once the law in different jurisdictions becomes much more similar offshore companies are of course regulated and minority shareholders’ rights are well protected because similar legal system in the Region can enhance the cooperation between Hong Kong and neighbor jurisdictions in terms of executing the statue and order granted by the court. Or maybe even better the similar legal system will make Hong Kong court judgments have binding effect on the offshore companies and then in practice the remedy can be got much easily than the current CDA model. 5. Conclusions In this paper we response to the Question 7 of the consultation paper and our answer is we should preserve the CDA currently. We consider five aspects and rationally prove that the CDA should be preserved in respect of each aspect. Although the authors prefer to preserve the CDA, further suggestions are also provided for future improvement of some current practical weaknesses in terms of derivative action in Hong Kong. References The statutory derivative action: now showing near you, Paul von Nessen S. H. Goo Chee Keong Low, 2008, Journal of Business Law Griggs, L. (2002). A Statutory Derivative Action: Lessons That May Be Learnt From its Past. Retrieved April 2010, from Australasian Legal Information Institute: http://www. austlii. edu. au/au/journals/UWSLRev/2002/4. html Li, X. (2006). nbsp;

The Importance of Jade in Precolumbian America

The Importance of Jade in Precolumbian America Jade occurs naturally in very few places in the world, although the term jade has been often used to describe a variety of minerals used since ancient times to produce luxury items in many different regions of the world, such as China, Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Neolithic Europe, and Mesoamerica. The term jade should be properly applied to only two minerals: nephrite and jadeite. Nephrite is a calcium and magnesium silicate  and can be found in a variety of colors, from translucent white, to yellow, and all shades of green. Nephrite doesn’t occur naturally in Mesoamerica. Jadeite, a sodium and aluminum silicate, is a hard and highly translucent stone whose color ranges from blue-green to apple green. Sources of Jade in Mesoamerica The only source of jadeite known so far in Mesoamerica is the Motagua River valley in Guatemala. Mesoamericanists debate over whether the Motagua river was the only source  or ancient peoples of Mesoamerica used multiple sources of the precious stone. Possible sources under study are the Rio Balsas basin in Mexico  and the Santa Elena region in Costa Rica. Pre-Columbian archaeologists working on jade, distinguish between â€Å"geological† and â€Å"social† jade. The first term indicates the actual jadeite, whereas â€Å"social† jade indicates other, similar greenstones, such as quartz and serpentine which were not as rare as jadeite but were similar in color and therefore fulfilled the same social function. Cultural Importance of Jade Jade was especially appreciated by Mesoamerican and Lower Central American people because of its green color. This stone was associated with water, and vegetation, especially young, maturing corn. For this reason, it was also related to life and death. Olmec, Maya, Aztec and Costa Rican elites particularly appreciated jade carvings and artifacts and commissioned elegant pieces from skillful artisans. Jade was traded and exchanged among elite members as a luxury item all over the pre-Hispanic American world. It was replaced by gold very late in time in Mesoamerica, and around 500 AD in Costa Rica and Lower Central America. In these locations, frequent contacts with South America made gold more easily available. Jade artifacts are often found in elite burial contexts, as personal adornments or accompanying objects. Sometimes a jade bead was placed within the mouth of the deceased. Jade objects are also found in dedicatory offerings for the construction or ritual termination of public buildings, as well as in more private residential contexts. Ancient Jade Artifacts In the Formative period, the Olmec of the Gulf Coast were among the first Mesoamerican people to shape jade into votive celts, axes, and bloodletting tools around 1200-1000 BC. The Maya achieved master levels of jade carving. Maya artisans used drawing cords, harder minerals, and water as abrasive tools to work the stone. Holes were made in jade objects with bone and wood drills, and finer incisions were often added at the end. Jade objects varied in size and shapes and included necklaces, pendants, pectorals, ear ornaments, beads, mosaic masks, vessels, rings, and statues. Among the most famous jade artifacts from the Maya region, we can include funeral masks and vessels from Tikal, and Pakal’s funeral mask and jewels from the Temple of the Inscriptions at Palenque. Other burial offerings and dedication caches have been found at major Maya sites, such as Copan, Cerros, and Calakmul. During the Postclassic period, the use of jade dropped dramatically in the Maya area. Jade carvings are rare, with the notable exception of the pieces dredged out of the Sacred Cenote at Chichà ©n Itz. Among Aztec nobility, jade jewelry was the most valuable luxury: partly because of its rarity, since it had to be imported from the tropical lowlands, and partly because of its symbolism linked to water, fertility, ​and preciousness. For this reason, jade was one of the most valuable tribute item collected by the Aztec Triple Alliance. Jade in Southeastern Mesoamerica and Lower Central America Southeastern Mesoamerica and Lower Central America were other important regions of the distribution of jade artifacts. In the Costa Rican regions of Guanacaste-Nicoya jade artifacts were mainly widespread between AD 200 and 600. Although no local source of jadeite has been identified so far, Costa Rica and Honduras developed their own jade-working tradition. In Honduras, non-Maya areas show a preference for using jade in building dedication offerings more than burials. In Costa Rica, by contrast, the majority of jade artifacts have been recovered from burials. The use of jade in Costa Rica seems to come to an end around A.D. 500-600  when there was a shift towards gold as the luxury raw material; that technology originated in Colombia and Panama. Jade Study Problems Unfortunately, jade artifacts are hard to date, even if found in relatively clear chronological contexts, since this particularly precious and hard-to-find material was often passed down from one generation to another as heirlooms. Finally, because of their value, jade objects are often looted from archaeological sites and sold to private collectors. For this reason, a huge number of published items are from unknown provenience, missing, therefore, an important piece of information. Sources Lange, Frederick W., 1993, Precolumbian Jade: New Geological and Cultural Interpretations. University of Utah Press. Seitz, R., G.E. Harlow, V.B. Sisson, and K.A. Taube, 2001, Olmec Blue and Formative Jade Sources: New Discoveries in Guatemala, Antiquity, 75: 687-688

Learn About Natural Numbers, Whole Numbers, and Integers

Learn About Natural Numbers, Whole Numbers, and Integers In mathematics, youll see many references about numbers. Numbers can be classified into groups and initially it may seem somewhat perplexing but as you work with numbers throughout your education in math, they will soon become second nature to you. Youll hear a variety of terms being thrown at you and youll soon be using those terms with great familiarity yourself. You will also soon discover that some numbers will belong to more than one group. For instance, a prime number is also an integer and a whole number. Here is a breakdown of how we classify numbers: Natural Numbers Natural numbers are what you use when you are counting one to one objects. You may be counting pennies or buttons or cookies. When you start using 1,2,3,4 and so on, you are using the counting numbers or to give them a proper title, you are using the natural numbers. Whole Numbers Whole numbers are easy to remember. Theyre not fractions, theyre not decimals, theyre simply whole numbers. The only thing that makes them different than natural numbers is that we include the zero when we are referring to whole numbers. However, some mathematicians will also include the zero in natural numbers and Im not going to argue the point. Ill accept both if a reasonable argument is presented. Whole numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, and so on. Integers Integers can be whole numbers or they can be whole numbers with a negative sign in front of them. Individuals often refer to integers as the positive and negative numbers. Integers are -4, -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and so on. Rational Numbers Rational numbers have integers AND fractions AND decimals. Now you can see that numbers can belong to more than one classification group. Rational numbers can also have repeating decimals which you will see be written like this: 0.54444444... which simply means it repeats forever, sometimes you will see a line drawn over the decimal place which means it repeats forever, instead of having a ...., the final number will have a line drawn above it. Irrational Numbers Irrational numbers dont include integers OR fractions. However, irrational numbers can have a decimal value that continues forever WITHOUT a pattern, unlike the example above. An example of a well known irrational number is pi which as we all know is 3.14 but if we look deeper at it, it is actually 3.14159265358979323846264338327950288419.....and this goes on for somewhere around 5 trillion digits! Real Numbers Here is another category where some other of the number classifications will fit. Real numbers include natural numbers, whole numbers, integers, rational numbers and irrational numbers. Real numbers also include fraction and decimal numbers. In summary, this is a basic overview of the number classification system, as you move to advanced math, you will encounter complex numbers. Ill leave it that complex numbers are real and imaginary.

Making Ethical Decisions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Making Ethical Decisions - Essay Example What is the problem? The problem faced by the manager is to determine if it is indeed the best option to fire the employee based on absenteeism and customer complaints versus the employee’s possession of personal virtues of honesty and not stealing. 2. What are your alternatives? The alternative courses of action are: (1) fire the employee; (2) give the employee a warning or reprimand depending on the number of absences and customer complaints; (3) consult the company’s code of discipline that should guide the decision-maker on appropriate courses of action depending on violations of company policies; (4) do nothing. 3. What are the effects of each alternative? Firing the employee without just cause will subject the manager under legal complaints for violating labor laws, especially if the employee is a permanent employee. Giving the employee a warning or reprimand, depending on the number of absences or customer complaints would make the employee aware that management does not tolerate his inefficiency in his working behavior. This would also give the employee a chance to improve his performance. Consulting the company’s code of discipline would ensure that the employee knows the penalties for his absences and the manager would implement the option depending on what company policies state. Finally, by doing nothing, the employee would not have the chance to improve on his working performance. 4.

Elaboration Likelihood model analysis Term Paper

Elaboration Likelihood model analysis - Term Paper Example Today businesses are constantly developing new persuasion mechanisms to market their products and services. They are looking for innovative ways of creating and delivering the content of the message. They aim to capture the audience attention, create assurance, spawn preferred attitudes, create social norms and eventually influence behavior. In this paper, I will explain the theory of elaboration likelihood model and show how it explains the persuasive strategy apparent in a television ad campaign for Budweiser puppy love commercial. A lot of research studies conducted in this field of persuasion indicates the challenges of developing a persuasive message. The results are varying particularly on issues dealing with public policies (Rucker & Petty, 2006). These results are linked to the thinking of the early 1970s researches about persuasion. The variables suggested by researchers during the 1970s continue to be investigated till now; they include message characteristics. This will encompass its credibility, attractiveness, emotional appeal, the mood it creates, and the channel used to present the message (Petty, Barden, et al., 2009). The assumption was that these variables achieved a single goal, which is persuasion. They could produce only one outcome, the effect of the persuasion message would be either successful or reduced. Some studies show that including only positive arguments in the message improved persuasion efforts. However, other studies found no similar benefits of incorporating positive aspects only; sometimes it reduced the effect of persuasion efforts. Some studies found also that incorporating negative aspects enhance the impact of persuasion rather than reduce it as earlier thought. The contentious issues in these results were the uncertainty on how these negative effects were relayed and steps involved in conveying them (Wagner & Petty, 2011). It was due to the