Stefaan Voet - Böcker

This book charts the transformative shifts in techniques that seek to deliver collective redress, especially for mass consumer claims in Europe. It shows how traditional approaches of class litigation (old technology) have been eclipsed by the new technology of regulatory redress techniques and consumer ombudsmen.It describes a series of these techniques, each illustrated by leading examples taken from a 2016 pan-EU research project. It then undertakes a comparative evaluation of each technique against key criteria, such as effective outcomes, speed, and cost. The book reveals major transformations in European legal systems, shows the overriding need to view legal systems from fresh viewpoints, and to devise a new integrated model.

In this Liber Amicorum, leading experts and old-time friends from around the world come together to pay tribute to Christopher Hodges’ multifaceted career and work by exploring what can be done to deliver justice and fairness, focusing on collective redress, consumer dispute resolution, court system reform, ethical business regulation and regulatory delivery.After a decade-long career as a solicitor, Christopher Hodges became Professor of Justice Systems at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Oxford. Throughout his academic career he worked on a variety of topics dealing with access to justice and dispute resolution: from product liability, procedural/funding systems and collective redress, to alternative dispute resolution and ethical business regulation. In 2021 Christopher Hodges was awarded an OBE for services to business and law. His ground-breaking research not only inspired students and colleagues, but also influenced policymakers worldwide.Delivering justice, and “making things better”, runs like a thread through his work; the same thread connects the chapters in this book.

In this Liber Amicorum, leading experts and old-time friends from around the world come together to pay tribute to Christopher Hodges’ multifaceted career and work by exploring what can be done to deliver justice and fairness, focusing on collective redress, consumer dispute resolution, court system reform, ethical business regulation and regulatory delivery.After a decade-long career as a solicitor, Christopher Hodges became Professor of Justice Systems at the Centre for Socio-Legal Studies at the University of Oxford. Throughout his academic career he worked on a variety of topics dealing with access to justice and dispute resolution: from product liability, procedural/funding systems and collective redress, to alternative dispute resolution and ethical business regulation. In 2021 Christopher Hodges was awarded an OBE for services to business and law. His ground-breaking research not only inspired students and colleagues, but also influenced policymakers worldwide.Delivering justice, and “making things better”, runs like a thread through his work; the same thread connects the chapters in this book.

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.

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.