To Make Known the Occupation of Judicial Officer in the World
This is the credo which is behind the World Day of the judicial officer. Each country having its specificities and the functions exerted by judicial officers in the world being very diverse, it was left to each country to organize this demonstration. Among the countries having taken part in the event, we will choose three: France, Mali and Quebec.
In France, the day resulted in a great press conference organized in partnership with the French National Chamber of judicial officers (CNHJ) and its president Guy Duvelleroy, on the topic: “Harmonization of the document initiating proceedings”. The event took place in the conference rooms of the House of Latin America in Paris. The UIHJ was represented by its president, Jacques Isnard, its general secretary, René Duperray, its first secretary, Mathieu Chardon, and by Francoise Andrieux, in charge with international communication and reporter of the international committee on the draft Directive relating to the document initiating proceedings. Several representatives of the CNHJ were present as well as several fellow-members, law professors, high representatives of the ministry of justice and high-ranking magistrates, and naturally the media. In his short speech, Guy Duvelleroy evoked the globalization which disrupts the mechanisms economies are accustomed to, by drawing new balances between actors of international trades, and to which the Law has not escaped. In this world, the assumptions of international dispute can only increase. “This first world day of the judicial officer intends to underline, in particular through the action of the UIHJ, the answers that the occupation of judicial officer wishes to bring to the challenges of international disputes” indicated the president of the CNHJ.
A Step in the Framework of the Creation of the Forum Justice
President Isnard then pointed out that the UIHJ counts 65 members divided in the world between liberal and independent professionals, civil servants judges and mixed statute agents. For Jacques Isnard, this situation is prejudicial to the identity of a profession which does not recognize itself in its denomination, as opposed, for example, to judges or lawyers, whose phonetism is very close in the majority of the countries. Moreover, the activities of judicial officer - except for enforcement - are very varied depending on the State. However, the profession with liberal statute, on the French model, extends gradually in the European Union (EU), since 19 States are provided with it (or are in such a process). Then Jacques Isnard greeted the idea of France to benefit from the French presidency at the EU (starting from July 1st, 2008) to launch the idea of a study aiming at improving the conditions in which proceedings are initiated in the EU. In substance, the project takes as a starting point the report whereby the various European regulations (European Enforcement Order, European Order for Payment, Small Claims Regulation) are failures or are likely to become failures. One of the reasons of this situation lies in the legal insecurity attached to the various modes of initiating proceedings in the EU: rejection of all rationalized rules, lack of communication and confidentiality, even violation of the right to privacy. The proposal of the UIHJ aims has promoting the making of a European directive which would reduce to only one possibility the methods of initiating proceedings: that to institutionalize a unified legal document served by a judicial officer or an agent in charge of this service. The interest would be to draw aside postal notification, by the handing-over of a true judicial document, containing full information both near citizens and Judges who are very often ignorant of the circumstances of handing-over of the document starting proceedings to the defendant. This creation would improve the mode of private law which remains, to many regards, not very accessible to citizens and even to certain lawyers. This step fits in the framework of the creation of the Forum Justice launched on May 30th, 2008 in Brussels, since the EU intends to associate in a narrow way the professionals in installing the future European area of Justice. “Undoubtedly the document initiating proceedings could soon be presented to the agenda of the next programs of the EU”, called the president of the UIHJ.
After these presentations, a film directed by René Duperray and Francoise Andrieux was shown on the way in which proceedings are introduced in the EU countries.
In the Meantime, in Bamako and Montreal
On the same day, in Bamako (Mali), the national Chamber of judicial officers, via its president, Sylvain Makan Keïta, organized a press conference as well as public debates on the topic: “The judicial officer in the city: justice everyday”. Thus, miles away from certain caricatures, details of the profession could be presented in the presence of Mrs. Keïta Lalé Mariam Zouboye, principal private secretary of the Minister for justice. The media largely relayed the event and made it possible for a vast public to discover the trade and the function of judicial officers.
A few hours earlier (due to time difference), on another continent, more precisely in Quebec, at the initiative of Louis-Raymond Maranda, president of the Chamber of the judicial officers of Quebec, a poster announcing the World Day was affixed in all the law courts of all legal districts of Quebec as well as in some offices of judicial officers. Two stands were also animated by judicial officers in the law courts of Montreal and Quebec.
Let us greet all these initiatives which show the vitality of the judicial officers and contributed to make known this profession in the world and to reinforce its image... until the next edition in 2009!
