75^TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

ACADEMIC ARTICLE

Partially Funded Pension, Fertility and Endogenous Growth
Zaigui Yang      

PROFESSIONAL ARTICLES

Confidentialité et informatisation de l’information personnelle / génétique dans le domaine de l’assurance : une étude comparée Québec/France
by Sébastien Lanctôt                                                                     

Réflexions sur les régimes de retraite canadiens
by Groupe-conseil Aon

SYMPOSIUM – INSURANCE LAW

Introduction – Gestion des litiges d’assurance de responsabilité générale et de biens
by Rémi Moreau                                                                           

Démystifier l’application des dernières modifications au contenu de la police CGL approuvée par le BAC
by Robert Emblem et Jean-François Guay                                       

L’obligation de défendre, sa mise en œuvre et ses conflits
by Jean-François Lépine                                                                 

L’exclusion de l’acte intentionnel de l’assuré
by Nicholas Krnjevic                                                                     

L’assurance dans le domaine de la construction : guide pratique pour la résolution des problèmes
by Pierre-Stéphane Poitras                                                           

La déclaration initiale du risque : réticence, déclaration mensongère et nullité ab initio
by Jean-François Pichette                                                            

Les obligations de l’assuré et les responsabilités de l’assureur diligent dans le cadre de l’aggravation des risques
by François Beauchamp

Current Events
under the responsibility of Rémi Moreau

1. L’entreprise face aux nouveaux risques, un colloque organisé par le CÉDÉ (Université Laval) –
2. Clarica perd son nom – 3. Great-West Lifeco achète Putnam – 4. Risques climatiques : des dommages mondiaux évalués à millemilliards de dollars à l’horizon de 2040 – 5. La directive européenne « pollution » est entrée en vigueur – 6. Les catastrophes naturelles américaines au premier trimestre 2007 - assurance des biens – 7. Forte hausse de rentabilité technique des assureurs américains – 8. Le Lloyd’s poursuit sa modernisation et renoue avec la profitabilité –
9. Le Lloyd’s s’est ouvert à la réassurance chinoise – 10. L’environnement, un élément prioritaire du programme économique du nouveau président de la France – 11. Une initiative allemande : récompenser les clients qui acceptent temporairement un remboursement tardif – 12. Swiss Re, le premier réassureur mondial, continue à engranger des profits – 13. Le groupe italien Generali met la main sur le premier assureur tchèque : une transaction de 1,1 milliard d’euros – 14. Une marche à franchir en gestion des risques : passer du déductible à la rétention absolue (Self-Insured Retention) – 15. Un groupe financier tente de sauver la planète

Book Review

1. « Nous protégeons l’infortune » – Les origines populaires de l’économie sociale au Québec, Martin Petitclerc, vlb éditeur, 2007 – 2. L’assurance collective en milieu de travail, Michel Gilbert, 2^e édition, Éditions Yvon Blais, 2006 – 3. Économie et Gestion de l’Assurance, Daniel Zajdenweber, Economica, 2006 – 4. Competitive Failures in Insurance Markets–Theory and Policy Implication, Pierre-André Chiappori et Christian Gollier, CESifo Seminar Series, 2006 – 5. Risk Management & Derivatives, René M. Stulz, Thompson Learning, Thompson/South-Western, 2003 6. Foundations of Economic Analysis of Law, Steven Shavel, The Belknap press of Harvard University Press, 2004 – 7. Risques – Les cahiers de l’assurance, N^o 67, septembre 2006, SEDDITA

Subjects’ and Authors’ Index – April 2006 to January 2007

The Internet Surfer Page
We visited the Web site of  Sun Life Financial

Partially Funded Pension, Fertility and Endogenous Growth
by Zaigui Yang

Within a framework of an overlapping generations endogenous growth model, this paper examines the effects of China’s partially funded public pension on fertility, economic growth and family old-age security. Chinese are assumed to satisfy for both having children and getting old-age material support from children. It is shown that raising the firm contribution rate reduces the rates of fertility and intergenerational transfer, and increases the economic growth rate. The individual contribution has no effect on the above rates. This paper also finds the proper firm contribution rate interval to promote economic growth, control population rationally and maintain some family old-age security.

Keywords: Partially Funded Public Pension; Endogenous Growth; Fertility Rate; Family Old-Age Security

Confidentialité et informatisation de l’information personnelle / génétique dans le domaine de l’assurance : une étude comparée Québec / France*
by Sébastien Lanctôt

This article is an overview of the legal framework governing the protection of the confidentiality of personal information (genetics) exchanged during an insurance contract subscription. The exchange of data and information is imperative to all insurance operations. The aim of this article is to catalogue and then examine all of the most relevant legislative provisions with respect to the framing of exchange of personal information. This is done with a specific perspective on the rising era of networking and computerization. It begins by broaching the legal framework in practice in Quebec then follows with the examination of existing rules in France. In each case, we pass from general rules intended to ensure the protection of privacy to the specific rules governing privacy in insurance.

Keywords: Personal information, genetics, insurance, computerization, networking, privacy.

Réflexions sur les régimes de retraite canadiens
by Groupe-conseil Aon

This article deals with a twofold purpose. Firstly, it is questioning about the ownership of an employee benefit plan: to the participants, to the employer or the administrator of the regime? Secondly, it examines three stakes recently discussed by the appropriate Canadian authorities: rules governing employee retirement fixed assets, solvency deficit depreciation requirements applicable to some entities in the public sector and the option of the letters of credit in order to finance such solvency deficit of employee benefit plan.

Démystifier l’application des dernières modifications au contenu de la police CGL approuvées par le BAC
by Robert Emblem et Jean-François Guay

The authors examine the modifications implemented in 2005 by Insurance Bureau of Canada to the Commercial General Liability policy (CGL) and discuss some probable effects of such modification: the new clauses on the nature and scope of Coverage A (“bodily injury and property damage”), the new Coverage B (“personal injury” and advertising liability”), and the new wording in relation with the exclusion “f” under Coverage A (“automobiles”).

L’obligation de défendre, sa mise en oeuvre et ses conflits
par Jean-François Lépine

This article explores the practical and legal issues surrounding the implementation of the liability insurer’s duty to defend according to the civil liability insurance policy. Although the subject was discussed on several occasions, the author proposes solutions to prevent and solve those issues, in accordance with an always-developing case law.

L’exclusion de l’acte intentionnel de l’assuré
par Nick Krnjevic

Insured’s intentional fault, as stipulated in article 2464 C.c.Q., originates from two ideological schools of thought : those are advocates of personal liability as a norm, and those who are considering the supremacy of protecting the victims. Sometimes characterized as a lightning rod for litigation, the author examines the dual function of intentional fault exclusion (technical and moral), the scope of such a prohibition, its strict interpretation, the proof imposed to the insurer, and the distinction to be done between its two essential components as an act committed deliberately and as the insured’s intention to cause damage to the victim. The author concludes that Common Law doctrine “courting the risk” and Quebec jurisprudence, applying the “objective test of reasonable foresee ability, is surrounded by controversy.

L’assurance dans le domaine de la construction : guide pratique pour la résolution des problèmes
par Pierre-Stéphane Poitras

This article, like a guide, shows how to solve the problems arising out of insurance claims in the field of construction insurance: builder’s risks, civil and professional liability risks and excess insurance. The author analyses the standard forms with respect to insuring agreements, exclusions and conditions, in the light of relevant case law rendered in Quebec under both Civil Law and Common Law.

La déclaration initiale du risque : réticence, déclaration mensongère et nullité ab initio
par Jean-François Pichette

Information disclosure is essential to the insurance contract formation. In order of accepting, covering and pricing the risk, the insurer needs to know all relevant information in relation to the insured risk. This raises the question of whether the insured should be obligated to disclose. In fact, the law sometimes requires disclosure and sometimes does not. The author herein examines the theory of good faith and general principles governing the insured’s initial obligation of disclosure. Then he comments two recent appeal court decisions on insured’s criminal history and false misrepresentation. Finally, he studies the burden of evidence imposed to the insurer in order to nullify ab initio any contract that was formed using misrepresented or concealed methods.

Les obligations de l’assuré et les responsabilités de l’assureur diligent dans le cadre de l’aggravation des risques
par François Beauchamp

The position of our Quebec courts, time and again reaffirmed, shows the importance of good faith all the time in the contractual relations between the insured and the insurer. This article put ahead this principle even when the contract is effective. Material change of risk must be promptly notified to the insurer if that such material change is increasing the risks stipulated in the policy. In the light of the latest development case law, the author tries to identify the nature of the aggravating circumstances, the time to notify, the new insurer’s substitution, and the case of the mortgagee.