The relationship between access to justice, the efficiency of courts, and litigation costs has never been an easy one. Yet, finding a proper equilibrium has never been more challenging than in recent times. The EU economic crises of the last decade and austerity policies deeply impacted justice budgets in several EU Member States and triggered justice reforms, particularly in the area of litigation costs. Building on the experiences of three EU jurisdictions that have been greatly affected by such developments (Greece, Portugal, and Spain), the seminar will assess the impact of austerity measures on access to justice.

Program:

Title: “Austerity policies and litigation costs reforms”

13.45 - 14.00: Registration / Zoom Connection

14.00 - 14.15: Adriani Dori (Erasmus School of Law)

Welcome Address and Introduction

14.15 – 14.35: Panagiotis Perakis (CCBE)

Austerity Policies, Litigation Costs and Effectiveness of Justice: The Greek Case

14.35 - 14.55: Paula Costa e Silva (Lisbon University)

The Costs of Justice: The Portuguese Case and the Absence of Efficient Solutions

14.55 – 15.10: Break

15.10 - 15.30: Fernando Gascón Inchausti (Complutense University of Madrid)

Court Fees, Cost Awards and Consumer Disputes in Spain: The Fish That Bites Its Own Tail

15.30 - 16.00: Discussion & Conclusion of the Seminar

The Speakers:

Panagiotis Perakis is Attorney at law (Athens Bar Association) and CCBE’s Vice President. He has served as Chairman or member of various Law Drafting Committees and other official Working Groups in Greece and as a member of the Executive Board of the Athens Bar Association (2011-2020). Since January 2020, he has been elected Vice-President of the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE), after being the Chairman of its Access to Justice Committee (2015-2019) and Head of the Greek Delegation (2014-2017).

Paula Costa e Silva is a Full Professor of Civil Procedure and Arbitration at Lisbon University, where she teaches Contract and Tort Law, General Theory of Private Law and Adjudication. She is the Head of the Institute for Brazilian Law and Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Commercial Arbitration Center of the Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Fernando Gascón Inchausti is a Full Professor of Procedural Law at the Complutense University of Madrid, Executive Secretary General of the International Association of Procedural Law (IAPL) and co-editor in chief of the International Journal of Procedural Law (IJPL). His fields of interest are civil justice, criminal justice, and European and comparative procedural law.