F. Ferrand/L. Mayer/D. Tsikrikas..., Cassation in French and Greek Civil Procedural Law, 2022

Table of Contents

Series Editors’ Foreword

Introductory remarks (by. Prof. Panayiotis Glavinis)

The distinction between facts and law on cassation - The evolution of the control exercised by the French Court of cassation (by Prof. Dr. Frédérique Ferrand)

I. Introduction

1. Brief historical reminder

2. Aims of the cassation

II. The classical distinction between facts and law

1.

The implementation of the distinction between facts and law by the Court of cassation

a) Legal norms under review

b) Fact finding and assessment

c)

The stage of the legal characterisation of the facts (qualification juridique des faits)

2. Cassation grounds (cas d’ouverture à cassation)

3. The request for advisory opinion (saisine pour avis)

a) Requirements to be fulfilled

b)

The advisory opinion is not binding on the lower court that requested it

c) Statistical data relating to the request for advisory opinion

III.

The evolution of the control exercised by the French Court of cassation: the new scrutiny in concreto of the conformity with the European Convention on Human Rights

IV.

The broadening of the possibility of quashing a judgment without remitting the case to a lower court (cassation sans renvoi)

V. Conclusion

The aim of cassation and the conditions of filing a cassation (decisions subject to cassation, parties, time period) under French Law (by Prof. Dr. Lucie Mayer)

I.

A consensus on the definition of the missions of the Court of cassation

A.

The mission pursued by cassation of decisions in breach of a legal rule: to ensure compliance with the law

B.

The missions pursued by means of the interpretation of the legal rule applicable to the dispute: to ensure the unity and evolution of the law

1.

The content of missions linked to the interpretation of the law by the Court of cassation

2. A specific appeal: appeal in the interest of the law

II.

The contemporary debate on the importance of its respective missions and, more essentially, on the nature of the power of the Court of cassation

A. Should the mission to review legality be reduced?

B.

Does the Court of cassation have the power to create norms?

1.

The “realist” approach: the Court of cassation has the power to create norms

2.

The “formalistic” approach: the Court of cassation has no normative power, but its decisions have normative significance

III.

The practical implications of the debate: the system of cassation and the changes considered or effected

A. The degree of openness of access to the Court of cassation

1. The admissibility of the initial appeal for cassation

a. In substantive law: widely accepted admissibility

b.

In prospective law: the plan, currently abandoned, to implement selection of appeals for cassation

2.

The admissibility of the appeal against an appeal after cassation in line with the cassation

B. Other practical implications

1. The modulation over time of reversals in case law

2. The requirement to give reasons for a decision

3. The amicus curiae

The aim of cassation and the conditions of filing a cassation (decisions subject to cassation, parties, time period) under Greek Law (by Prof. Dr. Dimitrios Tsikrikas)

I.

The Greek model of cassation in the European comparison – the historical perspective

1. The historical evolution of cassation in the European law

1.1. The Roman law

1.2.

The French and German law before the French revolution

1.3.

The cassation after the French revolution and Napoleon’s codification

2.

The cassation in the Greek procedural law under historical and comparative perspective

II.

The aim of cassation in the contemporary Greek procedural law

III.

The cassation as a review appeal for the protection of legal norms and for the uniformity of courts decisions

1.

The grounds for cassation – especially by violation of European procedural law and conflict of law rules

2. The proceeding of cassation

3. Cassation in the interest of the law

IV.

The function of cassation for the effective judicial protection of legal interests of the parties

1.

The dominant position of the parties in the proceeding of cassation

2. The violation of foreign substantive and procedural law

3.

The possibility of Areios Pagos to suspend the enforceability of the attacked decision

4.

The “inter partes” binding effect of the decision over cassation – The proceeding upon reversal of the attacked decision

V. Decisions which can be subject to a cassation

VI. Filing of cassation

VII.

Legitimation and time period to file a cassation – cassation in the interest of the law.

VIII. Concluding remarks

The distinction between facts and law on cassation – The evolution of the control exercised by the Court of Cassation under Greek law (by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ioannis Delikostopoulos)

I. The creation of a system of law

II. The distinction between questions of fact and questions of law

III.

Specification of vague legal concepts and cassation review of the extreme limits of legal concepts of dual hypostasis through the principle of proportionality. The evolution of the control exercised by the Court of Cassation

IV. Conclusions

Proceeding of cassation under Greek Law (by Assist. Prof. Dr. Anna Plevri)

I.

Basic characteristics of cassation as a method of review of judicial decisions

II. Initiation of proceeding of cassation

III. Representation of parties before the Supreme Court

IV. Proceeding of cassation

V. Epilogue

Grounds for cassation examined ex officio under Greek Law (by Dr. Anastasia Vezyrtzi)

I. Introduction

II.

The ability of the Court to invoke cassation grounds or raise arguments sua sponte from a comparative perspective

III.

Grounds for cassation raised ex officio under Greek Law: The recent amendment of Article 562 §4 CCP

IV.

Ex officio power v. procedural safeguards for the parties right to a fair trial: Concluding Remarks

A comparison between French and Greek cassation proceedings. Concluding remarks (by Professors Dr. Kalliopi Makridou and Dr. Georgios Diamantopoulos)