ANIMUS FRAUDANDI: DOCTRINAL LEGAL FOUNDATIONS FOR PROVING EVASION OF LAW IN PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW
Keywords:
animus fraudandi, private international law, evasion of law, fraus legis, abuse of right, burden of proof, artificiality test, indirect evidenceAbstract
This article analyses the procedural dimension of evasion of law (fraus legis) in private international law, focusing on proof of its subjective element, animus fraudandi. It examines the systemic difficulties of proving intent, including information asymmetry and the multiplicity of motives. Drawing on comparative analysis and the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union, the author proposes a model that establishes intent through objective indicators of artificiality rather than as a psychological state. A shifting burden of proof is substantiated, whereby a prima facie showing of artificiality transfers the burden of proving a genuine economic purpose to the defendant. Methodological foundations for applying this doctrine under Article 9 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan are developed.
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