Alan Uzelac – författare

This book assesses the role of court experts, court clerks and court staff, and other actors on the ‘judicial periphery’ who play an important role and often co-determine the pace, outcome, and tone of the judicial process.In national civil justice systems, the limelight is all too often cast on the main actors: judges, lawyers, and parties but the court's support staff can sometimes be overlooked. This book explores their role.The knowledge and skills of experts may be indispensable at times, but it is among the most expensive, complicated and time-consuming means of evidence. The judges adjudicate, but where experts are involved in the process, they have a decisive impact on the outcome of litigation. Therefore, a principal focus of the book is on experts and how they are appointed, managed, and remunerated across Europe and the world.Other ancillary professions may also be decisive for effective provision of court services. Different jurisdictions have different rules and habits, but inevitably recognise the need of adequate support for judges. Sometimes judges command the whole team of clerks and lawyers; sometimes they share a secretary or a clerk. But in all cases, those who assist judges in their daily work have a significant impact on the effectiveness and quality of the judicial process and its outcome.The book considers the contribution of different actors including clerks, secretaries, advisors, counsels and reporters. It focuses on cooperation and the interplay between judges and other professional actors in litigation.

This book assesses the role of court experts, court clerks and court staff, and other actors on the ‘judicial periphery’ who play an important role and often co-determine the pace, outcome, and tone of the judicial process.In national civil justice systems, the limelight is all too often cast on the main actors: judges, lawyers, and parties but the court's support staff can sometimes be overlooked. This book explores their role.The knowledge and skills of experts may be indispensable at times, but it is among the most expensive, complicated and time-consuming means of evidence. The judges adjudicate, but where experts are involved in the process, they have a decisive impact on the outcome of litigation. Therefore, a principal focus of the book is on experts and how they are appointed, managed, and remunerated across Europe and the world.Other ancillary professions may also be decisive for effective provision of court services. Different jurisdictions have different rules and habits, but inevitably recognise the need of adequate support for judges. Sometimes judges command the whole team of clerks and lawyers; sometimes they share a secretary or a clerk. But in all cases, those who assist judges in their daily work have a significant impact on the effectiveness and quality of the judicial process and its outcome.The book considers the contribution of different actors including clerks, secretaries, advisors, counsels and reporters. It focuses on cooperation and the interplay between judges and other professional actors in litigation.

This book considers what kind of binding force judicial decisions (should) hold in modern societies. It focuses on the two most prominent legal traditions, common law and civil law. It explores the developing trend in civil law countries to expand the influence of judicial precedents, discusses the fundamental issues which arise from this trend, and looks at recent developments in common law countries.Through this prism, the book looks at the implications of the doctrine of judicial precedents and how it is construed in jurisdictions that recognise it. It investigates the impact of newly recognised legislative or quasi-legislative powers vested in high courts on the doctrine of separation of powers. It considers whether courts in common law and civil law systems share a uniform understanding of precedents.The book goes on to consider whether these developments are beneficial when it comes to addressing existing challenges or whether they lead to a host of new problems, potentially exacerbating the crisis of judicial legitimacy. In relation to the hierarchical nature of civil law justice systems, it asks whether binding rulings from higher courts pose a potential threat to substantive judicial independence, limiting the open and pluralistic dialogue between lower and higher courts. It then goes on to reflect whether binding opinions from the highest judicial instances encroach upon the prerogatives of legislative bodies, resulting in the creation of suboptimal laws.

Access to European Union not only provides a comprehensive overview of European integration but also offers a fresh insight with each revised edition. Thanks to its clear and systematic approach, this book guides the reader through the maze of European Union policies. It throws light upon the European institutions, their raison d'etre, their objectives and their experience, and explains EU measures, legal provisions and economic programmes. The book contains over 3000 references to the Official Journal of the European Communities and more than 500 bibliographic references, selected by topic so as to help the reader deepen the study of the subjects of his or her interest.

A book series devoted to the common foundations of the European legal systems. The Ius Commune Europaeum series includes comparative legal studies as well as studies on the effect of treaties within national legal systems. All areas of the law are covered. The books are published in various European languages under the auspices of METRO, the Institute for Transnational Legal Research at Maastricht University. This book discusses the impact of EU law on selected national legal systems. The authors analyse how the civil procedure system of their country has reacted to increasing Europeanisation and influence of EU law. They identify significant changes and disseminate the reasons for particular developments and the further implications of EU law on the civil procedure.Europe is in a period of increasing Europeanisation of civil procedure. Procedural elements of EU law are based on decentralised enforcement, leaving enforcement and procedural issues to the Member States. Consequently, there is vast amount of EU case law that is relevant for national procedural law. The supremacy of EU law and, inter alia, the requirements of effectiveness and equivalence may be relevant for several topics of national civil procedural law, for example ex officio application of EU law, enforcement, insolvency proceedings, evidence, etc. Both EU legislation and doctrinal changes in EU case law touch upon various topics of the procedural law of the Member States. In a concluding chapter, a more comprehensive comparison between the countries represented in the book is made. Which doctrines, which pieces of legislation or features in legislation pose problems for national civil procedure? Are some legal systems or topics more prone to integrate European rules, and are others more resistant to changes? This book displays the Europeanisation of national civil procedure law and helps to understand this development from the perspective of Member States.

Based on the wish to reopen an international comparative discussion on fundamental notions of civil procedure, this book offers a number of insights into procedural human rights from different jurisdictions and different points of view.

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.

For many new fans of class actions, collective redress has become a Holy Grail of sorts, a miraculous tool that will rejuvenate national systems of civil justice and grant them unprecedented power.

For many new fans of class actions, collective redress has become a Holy Grail of sorts, a miraculous tool that will rejuvenate national systems of civil justice and grant them unprecedented power.

This book is a collection of papers that address a fundamental question: What is the role of civil justice and civil procedure in the various national traditions in the contemporary world? The book presents striking differences among a range of countries and legal traditions, but also points to common trends and open issues. It brings together prominent experts, professionals and scholars from both civil and common law jurisdictions. It represents all main legal traditions ranging from Europe (Germanic and Romanic countries, Scandinavia, ex-Socialist countries) and Russia to the Americas (North and South) and China (Mainland and Hong Kong). While addressing the main issue – the goals of civil justice – the book discusses the most topical concerns regarding the functioning and efficiency of national systems of civil justice. These include concerns such as finding the appropriate balance between accurate fact-finding and the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time, the processing of hard cases and the function of civil justice as a specific public service. In the mosaic of contrasts and oppositions special place is devoted to the continuing battle between the individualistic/liberal approach and the collectivist/paternalistic approach – the battle in which, seemingly, paternalistic tendencies regain momentum in a number of contemporary justice systems.

This book is a collection of papers that address a fundamental question: What is the role of civil justice and civil procedure in the various national traditions in the contemporary world? The book presents striking differences among a range of countries and legal traditions, but also points to common trends and open issues. It brings together prominent experts, professionals and scholars from both civil and common law jurisdictions. It represents all main legal traditions ranging from Europe (Germanic and Romanic countries, Scandinavia, ex-Socialist countries) and Russia to the Americas (North and South) and China (Mainland and Hong Kong). While addressing the main issue – the goals of civil justice – the book discusses the most topical concerns regarding the functioning and efficiency of national systems of civil justice. These include concerns such as finding the appropriate balance between accurate fact-finding and the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time, the processing of hard cases and the function of civil justice as a specific public service. In the mosaic of contrasts and oppositions special place is devoted to the continuing battle between the individualistic/liberal approach and the collectivist/paternalistic approach – the battle in which, seemingly, paternalistic tendencies regain momentum in a number of contemporary justice systems.

National civil justice systems are deeply rooted in national legal cultures and traditions. 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.