Greater efficiency in civil dispute resolution is very much dependent on organized but fair fact-finding. Under European law, however, no clear-cut categorisation of means of evidence exists as yet, and significantly diverging interpretations persist of what is considered 'evidence' in the sense of the foundational Council Regulation (EC) No. 1206/2001 (EER). The EER fails to provide comprehensive rules for many other aspects of evidence taking, pointing instead to national legislation for solutions. As long as evidentiary rules remain different from country to country, there is an inherent risk of conflict of laws between different systems in the course of cooperation between courts in cross-border matters, leading to mistrust amongst judiciary and other participants in the proceedings. Focusing on national rules, and using a comparative method which takes into consideration legal experiences from all legal circles in the EU, this book explains and analyses how the law of evidence works in Europe today. The authors draw on the vast base of relevant information collected in twenty-seven Member States by national reporters. Following the classical enumeration of types of evidence – production of documents, examination of witnesses, expert evidence, inspection by the judge, and examination of the parties – chapters encompass such issues and topics as the following. - judicial cooperation in cross-border cases; – general principles in evidence taking (the right to be heard, oral vs. written form, directness of evidence, burden of proof); – judges' case management powers regarding evidence; – means of evidence; – extent of influence of traditional principles and evidentiary rules on electronic evidence; – application of communication technology in cross-border proceedings; – legal costs; – language; – inadmissible evidence; and – instances in which a court can refuse a request for evidence. The authors offer well-grounded recommendations on requested judge's entitlements, direct and convenient communication, cost issues, revised provisions concerning language obstacles, unification of presumptions, and much more. Armed with the wide-ranging knowledge presented here, practitioners handling civil cases anywhere in Europe will derive great practical benefit from this book. As a masterful synthesis of how evidence is used in national courts in EU Member States, and of how that use is changing, the book will be greatly valued as a unique resource by legal scholars and academics. With featured recommendations it can contribute to the development of mutual trust among the national courts inside the EU as well as trust among policymakers and national courts.

This important book, the fifth in the Civil Procedure in Europe series, provides a comparative overview, of 13 EU countries and Switzerland, on the law of evidence. Each country's practice in this area is described and analysed by a national expert distinguished in the field of civil procedural law. The contributions are written in either English, French or German, and are followed by summaries in both remaining languages. Bibliographies are included to enable the reader to locate material for further study. A comparative contribution by the editor, Professor Jose Lebre de Freitas, analyses the similarities and differences between the various European systems. Furthermore, the editor discusses attempts to harmonise the law of evidence in Europe and provides concrete suggestions for a future harmonisation or unification of this area of law. The countries covered are Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Derived from the renowned multi-volume International Encyclopaedia of Laws, this convenient volume provides comprehensive analysis of the legislation and rules that determine civil procedure and practice in the European Union. Lawyers who handle transnational matters will appreciate the book’s clear explanation of distinct terminology and application of rules. The structure follows the classical chapters of a handbook on civil procedure: beginning with the judicial organization of the courts, jurisdiction issues, a discussion of the various actions and claims, and then moving to a review of the proceedings as such. These general chapters are followed by a discussion of the incidents during proceedings, the legal aid and legal costs, and the regulation of evidence. There are chapters on seizure for security and enforcement of judgments, and a final section on alternative dispute resolution. Facts are presented in such a way that readers who are unfamiliar with specific terms and concepts in varying contexts will fully grasp their meaning and significance. Succinct, scholarly, and practical, this book will prove a valuable time-saving tool for business and legal professionals alike. Lawyers representing parties with interests in the European Union will welcome this very useful guide, and academics and researchers will appreciate its comparative value as a contribution to the study of civil procedure in the international context.

This publication is based on the Swedish report to the project Dimensions of Evidence in Civil Procedure. The major objective of the project has been to explore whether there exists a common core of European Law of Evidence, and if it does, to describe its content and its most important points of discord among the national legal systems. By providing a clear picture of common core principles, the project can serve as a starting point for further harmonisation or unification processes in this field. A basic assumption of the project is that there can be no trust without a clear picture what courts do in matters of evidence, and how they discover the facts. This publication presents the relevant aspects of the Swedish legal system. The Swedish system for adjunction seldom takes its ground in firmly defined principles, but principles appear in decisions ad hoc. The Swedish application of the principle of free production of evidence and the principle of free assessment of evidence are far-reaching.

Written by leading authorities in the field of European civil procedure and collective redress, this timely book explores the model collective proceedings rules in the ELI/UNDROIT European Rules of Civil Procedure. It explains the intended application of this ‘best practice’ set of collective redress rules, intended to promote greater consistency in civil and commercial court procedure across Europe, linking to existing European practice and initiatives in the field.

This book portrays evidence and gathering of evidence under the current Croatian regulation relating to evidence and in practice. In this context, the author first analyses the fundamental principles of Croatian civil procedure and law of evidence. Then, the general principles of evidence and gathering of evidence are discussed, as well as the general rule on the burden of proof. The question of gathering of evidence through modern technology (videoconferencing, etc.) in the Croatian law and practice is also discussed. Separate parts of this book contain the analysis of means of proof regulated by the Croatian Civil Procedure Act: inspection of object ('view'), documents, witness testimony, expert testimony, and party testimony. The rules on costs caused by gathering of evidence, including the costs for translation are analysed, as well as the rules on language. The concepts of illegally obtained evidence and illegal evidence in the Croatian law and practice are discussed.This volume contains the report about the Council Regulation (EC) No 1206/2001 and the multilateral and bilateral legal assistance treaties to which Croatia is a party. There are several appendices to this book: a table of authorities according to the Regulation No 1206/2001, and relevant sources of Croatian civil procedure, table of case law on evidence, table portraying a ordinary/common civil procedure timeline, table referring to legal interpretation in the Croatian legal system, and comparative tables focusing on functional differences between national regulation, bilateral legal assistance treaties, multilateral treaties, and Council Regulation (EC) No 1206/2001 on taking of evidence by hearing of witnesses.This book is a result of the Dimensions of Evidence in European Civil Procedure research project commissioned by European Commission, Directorate-General Justice.

This volume provides a complete analysis of all EU-Regulations and Directives on civil procedure. The first part of the book tackles international jurisdiction within the EU, as well as recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments in the member States: the general system established in Regulation 44/2001, the particular provisions applicable to matrimonial matters and parental responsibility (Regulation 2201/2003) and, eventually, the rules relating to maintenance obligations (Regulation 4/2009). The second part is devoted to access to justice and judicial cooperation in the EU. It focuses on mediation as an «alternative» to jurisdiction (Directive 2008/52), the minimum common rules on legal aid (Directive 2003/8), transmission of judicial and extrajudicial documents for the purposes of service (Regulation 1393/2007) and, finally, the taking of evidence in other member states (Regulation 1206/2001). Lastly, the third part of the volume deals with the legal instruments aiming to strengthen the judicial protection of credit within the EU: the European enforcement order for uncontested claims (Regulation 805/2004), the European order for payment procedure (Regulation 1896/2006), the European small claims procedure (Regulation 861/2007) and the rules applicable to insolvency proceedings (Regulation 1346/2000). The book is addressed to those academics and practitioners (mainly judges and lawyers) interested in European civil procedure. They will find a fine piece of work, written in a direct and clear style, which intends to be scientifically rigorous, facing the many problems that arise when European law on civil procedure comes into play.