Les Codes de procédure civile français et hellénique face à l'accès du consommateur à la justice

Abstract

The present article deals with some provisions of French and Greek Codes of Civil Procedure in the context of a fundamental requirement of the industrial society, i.e. the consumers' access to justice. In this regard, two questions could be considered as relevant : a) Is it preferable, in France as in Greece, to create new jurisdictions, specialised in the settlement of consumer disputes, or to introduce within existing courts certain special procedures adapted to the requirements of consumer protection ? b) Is the protection provided by state jurisdictions sufficient or is it preferable to create new arbitration and conciliation bodies or, as a minimum requirement, to improve the functioning of such bodies as are in operation at présent ? As consumer protection requires a fast, efficient and cheaper procédure, a modification of the French and Greek Codes of Civil Procedure seems necessary. In order to satisfy the above requirements, it is desirable, on the one hand, to insert in the Codes of Civil Procédure of both countries provisions relating to the injunction to do, and to simplify or review the provisions relating to small claims ; on the other hand, it is necessary to adapt to consumer disputes the functioning of conciliation in both countries and of arbitration in Greece. However, as things stand, it seems that arbitration and conciliation bodies as alternative mechanisms for settling consumer disputes is either moribund (in France) or not ready yet to be born (in Greece).