Overview
- Offers new perspective on the expansion of the scope of collective redress procedures in Europe
- Presents a critical analysis of recent changes by introducing various forms of class actions in multiple national civil justice systems
- Provides a survey of several topical class actions that made global fame
Part of the book series: Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice (IUSGENT, volume 89)
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Table of contents (16 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Introduction
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Front Matter
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Critical Perspectives on Collective Redress
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Front Matter
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Many Faces of Collective Litigation: European Perspectives
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Front Matter
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Global Perspectives on Collective Redress
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Front Matter
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Keywords
About this book
Not so long ago, class actions were considered to be a textbook example of American exceptionalism; many of their main features were assumed to be incompatible with the culture of the civil law world. However, the tide is changing; while there are now trends in the USA toward limiting or excluding class actions, notorious cases like Dieselgate are moving more and more European jurisdictions to extend the reach of their judicial collective redress mechanisms. 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.
Still, while the introduction of various forms of representative action has virtually become a fashion, it is anything but certain that attempting to transplant American-style class action will be successful. European judicial structures and legal culture(s) are fundamentally different, which poses a considerable challenge.
This book investigates whether class actions in Europe are indeed a Holy Grail or just another wrong turn in the continuing pursuit of just and effective means of protecting the rights of citizens and businesses. It presents both positive and critical perspectives, supplemented by case studies on the latest collectivization trends in Europe’s national civil justice systems. The book also shares the experiences of some non-European jurisdictions that have developed promising hybrid forms of collective redress, such as Canada, Brazil, China, and South Africa. In closing, a selection of topical international cases that raise interesting issues regarding the effectiveness of class actions in an international context are studied and discussed.
Editors and Affiliations
About the editors
Prof. Dr. Alan Uzelac is the chair (head) of the Department for Civil Procedure at Zagreb University, Faculty of Law, where he teaches civil procedure, arbitration, ADR, judiciary, evidence, and protection of human rights in Europe. In addition to his academic activities and numerous publications, Prof. Uzelac has been an active member of various international bodies, inter alia as a founding member of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ).
Prof. Dr. Stefaan Voet is a professor in the Law School at KU Leuven in Belgium, where he teaches civil procedure, ADR, and complex litigation. His main research focus is on collective redress. Prof. Voet is also a practicing lawyer, a substitute justice of the peace, and chair of the Belgian Ombudsman for Retail.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Class Actions in Europe
Book Subtitle: Holy Grail or a Wrong Trail?
Editors: Alan Uzelac, Stefaan Voet
Series Title: Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-73036-9
Publisher: Springer Cham
eBook Packages: Law and Criminology, Law and Criminology (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-030-73035-2Published: 24 June 2021
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-030-73038-3Published: 25 June 2022
eBook ISBN: 978-3-030-73036-9Published: 23 June 2021
Series ISSN: 1534-6781
Series E-ISSN: 2214-9902
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: X, 400
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations, 6 illustrations in colour
Topics: Private International Law, International & Foreign Law, Comparative Law , Civil Procedure Law, European Law