European co-operation has resulted in many new and challenging opportunities for legal scholars who, since the so-called 'codification period', have become used to operating in a purely national context. This applies also to scholars in the field of civil procedure, who, for a considerable period of time, have resisted leaving the purely national domain. These scholars have devoted a great deal of attention to the question whether or not harmonisation of civil procedural law is a feasible option, and, if so, in what manner harmonisation should be achieved. The contributors to this book seek to further the harmonisation debate by exploring some of the main trends in the development of civil procedural law during the last two centuries in several European countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, England and Wales, The Netherlands and Belgium). Two of the central issues that are addressed by the contributors are the extent to which the various procedural models have influenced each other and the extent to which common traditions in civil procedural law may be distinguished in Europe. Each general chapter in this book is supplemented by three chapters devoted to specific procedural topics: Conciliation, Party Interrogation as Evidence and the Role of the Judge. In addition, extensive bibliographical references are included.

National civil justice systems are deeply rooted in national legal cultures and traditions. However, in the past few decades they have been increasingly influenced by integration processes at the regional, supra-national and international level. As a by-product of the emergence of economic and political unions and globalisation processes there is pressure to harmonise or even unify the way in which national civil justice systems operate. In an attempt to create a ‘genuine area of justice’, new unified procedures are being developed, which operate in parallel with national civil procedures, and sometimes even strive to replace them. As a reaction to the forces that endeavour to harmonise and unify procedural laws and practices, an opposing trend is gaining momentum: one that insists on diversity and pluralism of national civil procedures. This book focuses on the evolution of procedural reforms in various jurisdictions and the ongoing transformation of national civil justice systems.

Private enforcement of competition law, in particular through damages actions, is recently one of the highly debated topics in European competition law. Arguments for private enforcement are based on the EU principle of effectiveness, while existing national substantive and procedural regimes applicable to damages may be ill-suited for the effective enforcement of EU competition law. However, the risk that the introduction of enforcement-oriented measures into national law is incompatible with private (civil) law is often underestimated or neglected. This book aims to reconcile both EU enforcement and private law perspectives through a detailed study of the English and Slovenian private law systems. Research on the compatibility of EU competitionenforcement- oriented measures with the private law regimes in England and Slovenia is used to argue that some changes to private law (based on proposals for effective enforcement) go too far and risk undermining the integrity of the Legal systems. This book already takes into account the 2014 Directive on antitrust damages actions.

For decades it seemed clear that EC competition law was enforceable effectively at the national level, and ECJ case law has continued to bear this out. In recent years, however, the Commission has been proposing harmonization of national rules of procedure in competition cases, implying that procedural autonomy is insufficient on its own to produce an effective enforcement system in this area. As the authors of this book clearly demonstrate, this suggests a binary system governing the enforcement of EC Articles 81 and 82: namely, that led by the Commission through directives and eventual regulations, and that built on ECJ principles in areas not dealt with by such Community instruments. This book describes and analyzes not only the specific Commission recommendations, but also the manner and extent to which these recommendations are or may be implemented in civil procedure. In particular, the authors consider changes which may be required if these recommendations are incorporated into Dutch and English rules of civil procedure. Also addressed are elements of procedure not mentioned by the Commission but which might usefully be considered in the context of ECJ principles of effectiveness, equivalence and effective judicial protection of rights. At the heart of the study is a detailed analysis of the Commission White Paper on Damages Actions and the Commission Staff Working Paper, both issued early in 2009. The in-depth analysis ranges over procedural aspects of such elements as the following: and•standing; and•disclosure and access to evidence; and•burden of proof; and•fault/no fau and•costs of damages actions; and•injunctions; and•civil versus administrative enforcement; and•limitations; and•leniency programmes; and•collective actions; and•confidentiality; and and•forms of compensation. Anticipating as it does a looming impasse in European competition law, this remarkable book sheds defining light on the real implications of EC competition law for parties to damages actions, not only in the national systems studied but for all Member States. For practitioners and jurists it offers a particularly useful approach to the handling of cases involving European competition law, and also serves as a guide to current trends and as a clarification of doctrine.

European Rules of Civil Procedure sets out a clear examination of the rules adopted by UNDROIT and the European Law Institute in 2020. Presented within a systematic structure to aid enhanced academic understanding, it precisely showcases the substantial comparative knowledge of its authors.

Examining a burgeoning policy area of the EU - the regulation of cross border civil and commercial litigation - this title analyses the EU's specific legislative measures and assesses their impact on litigation procedure, particularly due process rights.

Previous edition, 1st, published in 1999.

Currently, China is drafting its new Civil Code. Against this background, the Chinese legal community has shown a growing interest in various legal and legislative ideas from around the world. Within this context, the present book aims at providing the necessary historical and comparative legal perspectives. It concentrates on substantive private law and civil procedure, both in China and in other jurisdictions. These perspectives are of considerable importance for the present codification work. Additionally, the book is dedicated to commemorating the centennial of the first Western-influenced and civil law-oriented Civil Code of China, the Da Qing Min Lü Cao An of 1911. The following topics are addressed: property law, contract law, tort law and civil procedure. The book also contains contributions on codification experiences in Europe and on the concept of codification in general. The topics are discussed by leading Chinese and international scholars. Most of the Chinese contributors have taken part in preparing the Chinese Draft Civil Code. The book is the outcome of a conference organized by the Centre for Chinese and Comparative Law (RCCL), School of Law, City University of Hong Kong, in October 2010.

Acclaim for the first edition: ïThis is a very important and immense book. . . The Elgar Encyclopedia of Comparative Law is a treasure-trove of honed knowledge of the laws of many countries. It is a reference book for dipping into, time and time again. It is worth every penny and there is not another as comprehensive in its coverage as ElgarÍs. I highly recommend the Elgar Encyclopedia of Comparative Law to all English chambers. This is a very important book that should be sitting in every university law school library.Í _ Sally Ramage, The Criminal Lawyer Containing newly updated versions of existing entries and adding several important new entries, this second edition of the Elgar Encyclopedia of Comparative Law takes stock of present-day comparative law scholarship. Written by leading authorities in their respective fields, the contributions in this accessible book cover and combine not only questions regarding the methodology of comparative law, but also specific areas of law (such as administrative law and criminal law) and specific topics (such as accident compensation and consideration). In addition, the Encyclopedia contains reports on a selected set of countriesÍ legal systems and, as a whole, presents an overview of the current state of affairs. Providing its readers with a unique point of reference, as well as stimulus for further research, this volume is an indispensable tool for anyone interested in comparative law, especially academics, students and practitioners.

This volume was developed as part of a cooperative project of the European Law Institute (ELI) and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (Unidroit), dealing with civil procedure law. The long-term project began in February 2014, as a joint endeavour to adapt the American Law Institute/Unidroit Principles of Transnational Civil Procedure to the European legal environment, and ended in 2020 with the approval of the ELI-Unidroit Model European Rules of Civil Procedure. Featured in this volume, the Rules are accompanied by comments. They take into account the diverse traditions in Europe concerning civil procedure law and aim to find a common thread in them. Therefore, they not only consider the similarities but also the differences in order to gain a solution that does not favour one legal system but combines aspects of them all, fostering effectiveness and fairness in civil procedure.