Alessio Reali

Sommario: 1. Premessa. – 2. Sugli express trusts, disciplinati nella Convenzione de L’Aja sui trusts, sulla loro tipicità, e sui fattori distintivi di tale tipicità rispetto a quella del Codice civile. – 3. Sull’inesistenza del c.d. ‘trust interno’. – 4. Sull’interpretazione dell’art. 13 della Convenzione. – 5. Sul trust quale istituto rappresentativo della proprietà nell’interesse altrui. – 6. Sulla soluzione delle controversie in materia di (express) trusts nell’ordinamento italiano: introduzione al rocket-launching process. – 7. Sull’applicazione del rocket-launching process, e la conformazione dei trusts di cui alla Convenzione ai principi generali dell’ordinamento italiano: il caso degli express trusts in frode ai diritti dei terzi rispetto al disponente del trust. – 7.1. Sugli express trusts connessi all’ordinamento italiano istituiti in frode ai diritti dei legittimari del disponente del trust. – 7.2. Sugli express trusts connessi all’ordinamento italiano istituiti in frode ai diritti dei creditori del disponente del trust. – 8. Su altre situazioni di fatto che richiedono la conformazione dei trusts di cui alla Convenzione ai principi generali dell’ordinamento italiano: i casi dei trusts su trusts e degli express trusts istituiti a favore di più generazioni, presenti e future. – 9. Conclusioni.

The author claims that the Swiss project of law for the introduction of trusts within the local Code on obligations is a proposal mainly addressed to foreign clients, rather than the persons residing in Switzerland, so to market a new peculiar product outside the Swiss soil. The paper offers a series of clues proving fulfilment of this purpose. The paper also discloses some of the various issues that could arise, within a civil law system, if a law of (pure) domestic private law on trusts would be placed side by side a law on trusts in force that makes reference to the Hague Convention on trusts.

L’autore sostiene che l’Avamprogetto di legge svizzera per l’introduzione del trust nel Codice delle obbligazioni locale sia una proposta normativa rivolta non tanto alle persone domiciliate in Svizzera, bensì alla clientela straniera, per commerciare un nuovo prodotto, peculiare, al di fuori del territorio elvetico. Il lavoro offre una serie di indici che dimostrano il perseguimento dell’obiettivo indicato. Il lavoro dà inoltre conto di alcune tra le varie problematiche che potrebbero insorgere in un ordinamento di civil law che ha ratificato la Convenzione dell’Aja sui trust, qualora si decidesse di affiancare, alla vigente disciplina convenzionale, una normativa sui trust di (puro) diritto privato interno. The author claims that the Swiss project of law for the introduction of trusts within the local Code on obligations is a proposal mainly addressed to foreign clients, rather than the persons residing in Switzerland, so to market a new peculiar product outside the Swiss soil. The paper offers a series of clues proving fulfilment of this purpose. The paper also discloses some of the various issues that could arise, within a civil law system, if a law of (pure) domestic private law on trusts would be placed side by side a law on trusts in force that makes reference to the Hague Convention on trusts.

First of all, the essay delivers both an abstract and a case-law construction of section 688, par. 2, of the Italian Civil Code (ICC), on domestic substitutory provisions, which states, in a broad way, that if a testator provides in her will for a substitution for just one of the two situations when the appointed heir or legatee can't, or does not want to, receive her heirship or legacy, then the substitution is supposed to be applied to the other one too. All the above to prove that the presumption of said rule of law is not applicable, under the circumstances, to an English-styled will, drafted in Italian and subject to the Italian private law, which provides for a substitutory provision for the devisee untimely death. Secondly, the essay focuses on the interpretation of the ICC's provisions on the subjective field of application of the Italian legal instrument called rappresentazione, to display that they should be applied to all descendants of the appointed son, brother or sister who still can't, or does not want to, receive his/her heirship or legacy. That, despite an apparent reinforced judicial opinion of the Italian Supreme Court which affirms a strict construction of sections 468-469 ICC and accordingly limits the application of rappresentazione to the sole direct descendants of the aforementioned son, brother or sister. All the above, once again, to prove that eventually, under the circumstances, a niece, designated heir of the testator, could validly renounce to her heirship on behalf of her children, against, in addition to a trustee of a trust set up inter vivos by the testator herself (appointed as substitute if the niece should predecease), another heir of the de cuius, who claimed that niece's heirship should be his own too, in case of renunciation.