The French Référé Procedure - A Legal Miracle?

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review Volume 2 Issue 1 THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI YEARBOOK OF INTERNATIONAL LAW VOLUME 2 Article 2 1-1-1993 The French Référé Procedure - A Legal Miracle? Wallace R. Baker Patrick de Fontbressin Follow this and additional works at: https://repository.law.miami.edu/umiclr Part of the Comparative and Foreign Law Commons, and the International Law Commons Recommended Citation Wallace R. Baker and Patrick de Fontbressin, The French Référé Procedure - A Legal Miracle?, 2 U. Miami Int’l & Comp. L. Rev. 1 (1993) Available at: https://repository.law.miami.edu/umiclr/vol2/iss1/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at University of Miami School of Law Institutional Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review by an authorized editor of University of Miami School of Law Institutional Repository. For more information, please contact . ARTICLES THE FRENCH REFRE PROCEDURE LEGAL MIRACLE?t A WALLACE R. BAKER* AND PATRICK DE FONTBRESSIN** Preface by PIERRE DRAI, Chief Justice of the Cour de Cassation INTRODUCTION A. B. C. D. I. Importance of the Rgfgrg Procedure Court Organizationin France Judgments on the Merits and Provisional Judgments Entered in Rfffr6 Proceedings Purpose of this Article GENERAL RPFARt PROCEDURE - A SPECIAL PROCEDURE IN A SPECIAL COURT JURISDICTION A. B. General Description The Scope of General R~f~rg Procedures 1. Urgent Matters 2. Conserving Situations and Conserving and Investigating Facts (a) Measures to Conserve Situations (b) Conserving Situations and Investigation of Facts t This publication is subject to copyright and may not be reproduced or transmitted by any process or means without permission of the Authors. * Wallace R. Baker - Avocat & la Cour (member of the Paris Bar), Licence en Droit Paris (1971), Docteur en Droit Bruxelles (1962), L.L.B. Harvard 1952, member of the Illinois Bar, Partner Baker & McKenzie, Paris. ** Patrick de Fontbressin - Avocat & la Cour (member of the Paris Bar), Maitre de Conferences University of Paris XI, Directeur Adjoint Gazette du Palais. 2 YEARBOOK OF INTERNATIONAL LAW 3. [Vol. 2 Disturbances of Public Order and Other Situations Where a R~ftr6 Proceeding Has Been Used (a) Voie de Fait - Flagrantly Abusive Administrative Action (b) Labor Conflicts (c) Press, TV or Audiovisual Communication 4. Obligations Not Subject to Serious Dispute (a) Ordering Provisional Payments (R~ftr6 Provision) (i) Construction Disputes (ii) Automobile Accident Cases (iii) Contract Cases (b) The R~ftrg Procedure of Article 5-1 of the Code of Penal Procedure (c) R6ftr6 Injunction II. SPECIAL R9FARP, PROCEEDINGS Tribunal de Grande Instance - Difficulties in Executing Judgments - The Enforcement Judge B. Retraction of Ex Parte Orders (Ordonnancessur Requite) C. Verification of Government Contracts, Termination of Contracts and Enforcement of Remedies D. Tribunal d'Instance - Injunctions for the Protection of Consumers A. E. Other R~f~r6 Proceedings 1. Examples of Texts Specially Referring Matters to 2. 3. the R6f6r6 Judge Mediation and Conciliation, and the R~f~r6 Judge Arbitration and the R~fr6 Judge (a) Provisional Measures (b) Urgency (c) Imminent Risk of Damage (d) Provisional Payments (e) Exequatur III. RbFPRA PROCEDURES IN LABOR, SOCIAL SECURITY, AND AGRICULTURAL COURTS IV. THE REFERENCE JUDGE AND UNFAIR COMPETITION A. The R~fer6 Proceeding to Stop Unfair Competition Article 1382 of the Civil Code 1992-1993] THE FRENCH REFERE PROCEDURE B. Similar Measures Ordered by the Conseil de la Concurrence in Accordance with Article 12 of the Ordinance of December 1, 1986 C. The Rfffr6 ProcedureRelating to Competition Matters (r~ftr6-concurrence)Provided for in Article 36 D. Major Types of Cases 1. Selective Distribution 2. Refusal to Sell 3. Exclusive Distribution V. RitFbRA PROCEDURES IN THE APPELLATE COURT A. General Powers of a R~fr6 Judge in the Appellate Court B. Appellate Court Reversal of a Lower Court's Decision Relating to Immediate Execution C. OrderingImmediate Execution Where it was Refused by the Lower Court D. Suspension of Immediate Execution of a Decision of the Conseil des Bourses et Valeurs VI. THE REFERENCE JUDGE IN THE EUROPEAN COURTS AND INTERNATIONAL COURTS A. B. Introduction The European Court of Justice and the InternationalCourt of Justice C. Common Characteristicsof Rfffr~s in the EEC Courts and the InternationalCourt of Justice 1. Urgency 2. Immanent Damage 3. Prima Facie Justification 4. Balancing the Interests of the Parties D. Types of ProvisionalDecisions 1. Injunctions 2. Suspension of Execution of Judgments 3. Action by Agreement of the Parties 4. Guaranties and Agreements 5. Effectiveness of Orders in Various International Jurisdictions VII. THE RAFPRt JUDGE AND EUROPEAN COMMUNITY LAW 4 YEARBOOK OF INTERNATIONAL LAW VIII. CONCLUSION A. B. C. D. [Vol. 2 Substantial Growth in the 1980's and 90's of the Rff6r6 Procedure Special Areas of Growth Significance of Increasing Use of the R~f~r6 Procedure Universality of R~ftr6 Procedure 1992-1993] THE FRENCH RPFItRP PROCEDURE PREFACE UN JUGE POUR ASSURER L'ETAT DE DROIT: LE JUGE DES REFPRES "Quand il s'agira de la libert6 de personnes qualifi6es ou consti"tu6es en charge, de celle des marchands et n6gociants em"prisonn6s A la veille de plusieurs fetes cons6cutives .... et si "le lieutenant civil le juge ainsi Apropos pour le bien de la jus"tice, il pourra ordonner que les parties comparaltront le jour "m~me dans son h6tel, pour y tre entendues et Atre par lui "ordonn6 par provision..." (EDIT DU ROI pour l'Administration de la justice au CHATELET DE PARIS - JANVIER 1685). Tel est, en un v6n6rable document, souvent peu connu des praticiens, l'acte de naissance de ce juge des r6f6r6s dont chacun pense qu'il peut agir pour le meilleur ou pour le pire, mais dont chacun se convainc qu'il est le personnage - c16 de nos institutions judiciaires frangaises. Car le juge des r6f6r6s plonge profond6ment ses racines dans nos traditions judiciaires et aucun r6gime politique ne saurait lui d6nier cr6dibilit6 et 16gitimit6. Si le Droit n'est pas une simple technique de fixation et d'interpr6tation des normes de la vie en soci6t6 et si le juriste n'est pas l'oracle d'une science juridique neutre et insipide, alors, dans le dur et quotidien combat pour la d6fense et l'illustration des droits et libert6s, c'est un homme ou une femme qu'il nous faut, "Aport6e de la voix ou de la main", pour jouer un r6le essentiel dans la cit6, pour f6conder r~gles et lois abstraites et insuffier A son action ce suppl6ment d'Ame qu'est la Paix par le Droit, la "paix judiciaire". Car le juge n'a pas accompli tout son devoir, si sa d6cision, par son tranchant et sa brutalit6, ne permet pas aux adversaires d'hier de se rapprocher demain et, peut- 8tre, de mieux se comprendre, encore plus tard. Le juge est (...truncated)