Dear LACRALO Members, Please find below the UNOFFICIAL translation of the message sent by LACRALO's Chair yesterday. Subject above. -------TRANSLATION----------------------------------- PART 2 Two concepts are confused: principal residence and domicile. The Chilean legislation and jurisprudence have clarified these concepts. Art. 59 of the Chilean Civil Code defines domicile and (not residency) and defines residency as one of the components of domicile. The other element of domicile is the intent to reside in the place (residency). "Domicilio consists of residency, with the intent, actual or presumed to remain in the place. Divided in political and civil". The Chilean Supreme Court Jurisprudence ( Suprema Court 24 December 1962, R., t 59, sec 1°, p 478) has issued an opinion about the issue. See page 231: http://books.google.com.py/books?id=R40zBEfltIoC&pg=PA231&lpg=PA231&dq=juris... ) estableciendo: "1. Domicile, residency, room or place of dwelling. a) It is not possible to confuse the elements of domicile and residency; the First, according to the Civil Code, consists of residency, actual or presumed with the intent to remain in it, it constitutes a juridical category well defined by the law, which points out its elements. On the other hand, residency is a de facto relationship, which in absence of a legal definition, shall be understood in a natural sense and obvious of the word, as an action and effect to reside, in other words, the fact of being in a determined place. In C Concepción, 28 de Abril 1964, R., t 61, sec 4°, pág. 289 the following has been established: b) In Civil Law, domicile is the juridical seat of a person and residence and room result in a link between the person and the place where the person resides, ordinarily or accidentally". 2) Tax law of the United Kingdom The legislation which deals with tax issues in the United Kingdom (of which Scotland is part) is also clear and express in distinguishing between domicile and residency. Regarding residency it says: "2.2 UK residence There are many different factors which will determine whether you are resident in the UK. With one exception (explained in the next paragraph), it is not simply a question of the number of days you are physically present in the UK during a tax year, although this is an important consideration. The only occasion when the number of days that you are physically present in the UK will determine your residence status is when you are here for 183 days or more during a tax year. If you are here for 183 days or more in a tax year, you are resident in the UK. There are no exceptions to this. You can also be resident in the UK if you are present here for fewer than 183 days in a tax year. This will depend on how often and how long you are here, the purpose and pattern of your presence and your connections to the UK. These might include the location of your family, your property, your work life and your social connections". http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/hmrc6.pdf "3.2 What does ordinary residence mean? Ordinary residence is different from 'residence'. The word 'ordinary' indicates that your residence in the UK is typical for you and not casual. It is important not to confuse ordinary residence with domicile (see part 4). If you have always lived in the UK then you are ordinarily resident here. When you come to the UK you do not have to intend to remain in the UK permanently or indefinitely in order to be ordinarily resident here. It is enough that your residence has all the following attributes. * Your presence here has a settled purpose. This might be for only a limited period, but has enough continuity to be properly described as settled. Business, employment and family can all provide a settled purpose, but this list is not exhaustive. * Your presence in the UK forms part of the regular and habitual mode of your life for the time being. This can include temporary absences from the UK. For example if you come to live in the UK for three years or more then you will have established a regular and habitual mode of life here from the start. * You have come to the UK voluntarily. The fact that you chose to come to the UK at the request of your employer rather than seek another job does not make your presence here involuntary. The pattern of your presence, both in the UK and overseas, is an important factor when you are deciding if you are ordinarily resident in the UK. You will also need to take into account your reasons for being in, coming to, or leaving the UK and your lifestyle and habits. Parts 7 and 8 will help you with this, as they explain the considerations for those coming to and leaving the UK". http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/hmrc6.pdf "4.2 What does domicile mean? Domicile is a matter of general law; not of tax law. There are many things which affect your domicile. Some of the main points that you should consider if you are claiming not to be domiciled in the UK are shown below: * You cannot be without a domicile. * You can only have one domicile at a time. * You are normally domiciled in the country where you have your permanent home. * Your existing domicile will continue until you acquire a new one. * Domicile is distinct from nationality and residence, although both can have an impact on your domicile. * The fact that you register and vote as an overseas elector is not normally taken into account when deciding whether or not you are domiciled in the UK. Any references we make to being 'domiciled in the UK' are references to being domiciled in any part of the UK". http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/hmrc6.pdf "Domicilie here is a term with a technical meaning. Very roughly (and this is a considerable simplification) an individual is domiciled in the UK if he was born in the UK or if the UK is his permanent home, and is not a UK domicile if he was born outside of the UK and does not intend to remain permanently." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxation_in_the_United_Kingdom "In law, domicile is the status or attribution of being a permanent resident<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident> in a particular jurisdiction<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurisdiction_%28area%29>. A person can remain domiciled in a jurisdiction even after they have left it, if they have maintained sufficient links with that jurisdiction or have not displayed an intention to leave permanently (i.e., if that person has moved to a different state, but has not yet formed an intention to remain there indefinitely). A corporation's place of domicile is equivalent to its place of incorporation". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domicile_%28law%29 3) Scotland's Legislation "III.3. The personal statute and its aspects with regards with the civil status (name, domiciled or capacity) The domicile of a person at the moment of his birth (origin domicile) is the same as that of his father, as long as he/she is a matrimonial son. [...] Those older than 16 years old are supposed to keep the origin domicile, unless they opt for a different domicile. To opt for another domicile it is needed that they reside effectively in a specific jurisdiction, with the intent to remain in it indefinitely or permanently. In the moment when any of these requisites is missing the norm of the original domicile is applicable. [...] The issue of the domicile of a person in a determined country is often regulated by the Scottish legislation, unless provided for in other way, for example, in an international instrument of which the United Kingdom is part. [..]" http://ec.europa.eu/civiljustice/applicable_law/applicable_law_sco_es.htm#II.... Conclusions According to the above, the LACRALO Operating Principles state as a requisite, to be LACRALO representative before the ALAC, "to have their main places of residence in countries of the region". The norms which define what is understood by "residency", and which we have interpreted (as well as the complementary jurisdiction), use a similar criteria: they distinguish between domicile and residency as two and distinct concepts. Therefore, my understanding is that Mr. Humberto Carrasco (like he himself reaffirms in the LACRALO mailist) that he has his domicile in Chile, although he is not at the moment residing there. Given that he has said he has the intent to return to Chile to finalize his Doctoral studies, he has a real intent that Chile be its home permanently and his principal place of domicile. That is the place where he has the intent to return; while his residency, being in a determined place, that link between the person and the place where he inhabits, ordinarily or accidentally, with certain character of permanency, that is more than a mere temporary stay, (to finalize his doctoral studies) is Scotland. Following the criteria established by the applicable laws to this case, there are two concepts which cannot be confused: residency and domicile. In the case of Mr. Humberto Carrasco we have two countries: Chile and Scotland. The criteria to assign to one of these countries a domicile, is a legal criteria and is what has been presented above: Mr. Carrasco's domicile is Chile. The criteria to assign to one of those countries a residence, is a de facto criteria: Mr. Carrasco is living, residing or has a place of dwelling with certain character of permanency (he wants to finish his Doctoral studies) in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland (he has stated this in his emails: he never denied being living in Edinburgh and carrying out Doctoral studies in the University). Therefore and, in compliance with what is provided for in the LACRALO ROPs and according to rule 8 of the LACRALO ROPs which require that the representatives of LACRALO with the ALAC shall have " have their main places of residence in countries of the region, and their nationalities must be distinct. Having into account the analysis performed to determine what shall be understood by "residency", and being all the laws analyzed uniform in considering those as two separate concepts, residence and domicile. This Chairmanship considers that Mr. Sr. Humberto Carrasco DOES NOT comply with the requisites of residency required to be accepted as a valid candidate within the election process open to elect the LACRALO representative with the ALAC. Silvia Vivanco Manager, At-Large Regional Affairs Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Telephone: + 1 (202) 570-7119 Fax: +1 (202) 789-0104 Cell/Mobile: +1 (202) 735-7011