With the support of the Permanent Commission for Franco-Québécois Cooperation, the National Chamber of Judicial Officers of France and the Chamber of Judicial Officers of Quebec are currently collaborating on a joint research project. This project aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the role of bailiffs in both legal systems, focusing particularly on their role in amicable debt recovery. The objective is to identify effective and sustainable reforms to reduce the costs of justice, improve procedural efficiency, and alleviate court congestion.
On the occasion of the publication of the study on the financial situation of companies during economic crises, the National Chamber of Judicial Officers of France and the Chamber of Judicial Officers of Quebec organized an exceptional round table this Wednesday, May 29, 2024, dedicated to the enforceable invoice.
Each year, unpaid debts in France amount to €56 billion, and the procedures for their recovery are long, complex, and costly for the managers of SMEs, thus weakening them and representing a significant loss for the State. In response to this situation, judicial officers propose the implementation of an innovative tool, the enforceable invoice, which has been applied in Belgium since 2016. This tool would simplify the daily lives of merchants and business leaders while improving the efficiency of justice.
This round table brought together experts and business leaders to discuss the benefits of this measure for the country’s economic competitiveness.
Following the opening speech by Me Benoît Santoire, President of the National Chamber of Judicial Officers, who paid special tribute to the late François Taillefer, former President of the Chamber of Judicial Officers of Quebec, who recently passed away at the age of 64, Me Pierre Iglesias, Delegate for International Affairs of the National Chamber of Judicial Officers, moderated the discussions of the two round tables on the agenda.
The first round table, focused on strengthening the resilience of SMEs during crises, featured Mr. Pierre Pelouzet, Business Mediator, Ms. Sylvie Casenave-Péré, CEO of Posson Packaging, Ms. Marie-Claude Drapeau, Vice-President of the Chamber of Judicial Officers of Quebec, and Me Patrick Gras, President of the National Union of Judicial Officers, who shared their perspectives on the matter.
The second round table, titled “The Enforceable Invoice: A New Lever for SME Competitiveness,” included Me Quentin Debray, President of the National Chamber of Judicial Officers of Belgium, Ms. Natalie Fricéro, Professor of Private Law and Criminal Sciences at the University of Nice-Côte d’Azur and member of the UIHJ Scientific Council, as well as again Ms. Marie-Claude Drapeau. Quentin Debray detailed the procedure for recovering uncontested claims, applicable in B2B transactions since 2016 in Belgium, and the two other panelists assessed the potential for implementing this procedure in French and Québécois law.
Me Georges Golliot, Vice-President of the National Chamber of Judicial Officers, presented the final report of the conference, which concluded with informal exchanges among the various participants.
The UIHJ was represented at this event by its President, Marc Schmitz, and Vice-President, Jean-Pierre Herbette.
