olivier moréteau*comparativelaw.weebly.com/uploads/9/0/2/8/9028148/a_summary... · the enactment...

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Thelate20thandearly21stcenturiesarewitnessingatensedebateonthesuitabilityofaEuropeanCivilCode.TheimmensevolumeofliteraturethatitgeneratedinsideandoutsidetheboundariesoftheEuropeanUnionrevealsbigtensions.Ontheoneside,thereisthewishofasymboliccommitmentpushingforwardaUnionalltooper-ceivedasbeingtheworkofpoliticiansandbureaucrats:aEuropeanCivilCodewouldstimulateEuropeanidentityandcitizenship,andstrengthentheformidableintegra-tionaccomplishedinthepastfiftyyears.Ontheotherhand,however,thereismuchlocalresistance,formanyunderstandablereasons.Inthosejurisdictionswherecivilcodesdonotexist,aEuropeanCivilCodemaybeperceivedastheimpositionofafor-eignmodelconflictingwiththelocaltradition.Inthemanyjurisdictionswherecodi-ficationalreadyexists,comesthefundamentalquestion:whycan’twekeepourlocallaw?Afterall,ifEuropeanintegrationallowsustokeepandcherishourmultiplelan-guages,whynotalsoourmultiplesystemsandcivilcodes?

Atthesametime,severalEuropeancountriescommemoratethebicentennialoftheir civil codes (France 1804–2004, Austria 1811–2011) or sometimes the centen-nial,asinthecaseofGermanythathadfouryearstocelebrateaBGB(BürgerlichesGesetzbuch) promulgated in 1896 to come into force on 1 January 1900. OutsideEurope,LouisianacommemoratedthebicentennialofitsCivilCode,200yearsaftertheenactmentoftheDigestof1808,whichborrowedtheformoftheFrenchCodeof1804and,whenenlargedastheCivilCodeof1825,servedasamodelinSpainandalloverLatinAmerica.Thisshowsthatcodescanbeatthesametimenationalandsemi-nal,andthatseminalcodescanhaveenormousinfluenceoutsideanationaljurisdic-tion:theycanbenationalanda-national.

O L I v I E r M O r é T E AU *

A Summary Reflection on the Future of Civil Codes in Europe

* ProfessorofLaw,russellB.LongEminentScholarsAcademicChair,DirectoroftheCenterofCivilLawStudies,PaulM.HebertLawCenter,LouisianaStateUniversity;formerlyProfessorofLaw,UniversitéJeanMoulinLyon3andDirectoroftheEdouardLambertInstituteofComparativeLaw.TheauthorthanksJen-nifer Lane, Agustín Parise, Professor Robert A. Pascal, and Michel Séjean for their helpful comments andedits.

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Meantime, all codified systems are facing phenomena known as decodification,revision,orrecodification,questioningtheparadigmaticvalueofcivilcodes.ThisisprobablythefirstquestiontobeaddressedinareflectiononthefutureofcivilcodesinEurope:docivilcodesremainasuitableformoflegislation(1)?Theanswerisyes,ifcivilcodesremaincitizen-centered.ShouldcivilcodesremainnationalorshouldweencouragetheadoptionofaEuropeanCivilCode?ThepointwillbemadethattheEuropeanUnioncandevelopwithmultiplecivilcodes,foreignexperienceshowingthatdiversitycanfavorastrongerunion(2).Inanycase,civilcodesmustremainclosetothepeopletheymeantoserve,whichcallsforsomerethinkingoftherevisionandrecodificationprocesses(3).

Thissummaryreflectioniscenteredonthecitizen,alltoooftenneglectedincon-temporaryreflectionsoncodification.1Developedinthreestepslikeaviennesewaltz,itismeanttohonoroneofthegreatmastersofthecivillawinAustria,inEurope,andalsointheworld,whoservedtheadvanceofthecivillawofhiscountryandsignifi-cantlycontributestothedevelopmentofaEuropeancivillawinthefieldoftortobli-gations.

A. Why We Need Civil Codes: Legislating for the Citizens

Civilcodeshaveservedmultiplepurposessuchastheunificationofthelawwherediversityexisted(France1804,Switzerland1907),thesimplificationandbetteracces-sibilityofalawthatwasmeanttosurvivewithoutchange(Louisiana1808and1825),orafurtherstepinasystematizationundertakenbylawprofessors(Germany1896).Whethermeanttobeprogressivewithsomebreakwiththepast(France)orconserva-tivewithminimalchangestothecontinuingpreexistinglaw(Louisiana),mostcodesare meant to make the law more easily accessible not only to the jurists (GermanBGB) but primarily to the citizen (France, Louisiana, Switzerland). The majority ofcivilcodesintheworld,includingAustria(1811),Italy(1865and1942),Quebec(1866and1994),Spain(1889),andtheNetherlands(1992),tocitebutafew,aremeanttoaddressthecitizenandnotonlythejurist.

Inthatsense,codificationmaybedescribedasamoredemocraticformoflawmak-ing.InmanyjurisdictionssuchasFrance,thecompilationofcustomshaddeprivedcitizens of their lawmaking ability: from then on, the courts and administrationreferredtothebookratherthantopeople’stestimonyofwhatthecustomwasandhowitevolved.ThesamehappenedinEnglandwherethejudiciary,developingprec-edents,deprivedthepeopleoftheirlawmakingfunction.Overmostofcontinental

1 Thereareafewexceptions:R. Pascal,OftheCivilCodeandUs,LouisianaLawreview(La.L.rev.)59(1998)301ff.,isthemostinspiring.SeealsoM. McAuley,ProposalforaTheoryandaMethodofrecodification,LoyolaLawreview(Loy.L.rev.)49(2003)261ff.;O. Moréteau,TheFutureofCivilCodesinFranceandLou-isiana, in:O.Moréteau/J.romañach/A.Zuppi(eds.),EssaysinHonorofSaúlLitvinoff(2008)605ff.

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EuropeandinScotland,thedevelopmentofalawinthebooksbasedonthestudyoftheCorpusJurisCivilisgeneratedasophisticatedcivillawsometimesdistantfromthecitizenitwasmeanttorule.

Forcodestoservethepeople,theymustbewritteninclearandaccessiblestyle,sothatlaypersonsmayunderstandwhattheysay,andkeepsomecontrolonwhatthejudgeandthejuristmaybetemptedtoimposeasbeingthelaw.

AtatimewheretheEuropeanUniongeneratesthousandsofpagesofregulationsordirectivesoftencouchedintechnicalbureaucraticstyle,itisfairtoinsistthatatleastasfarasfundamental,immediatecivilrightsofthepeopleareconcernedthelawshouldbeaccessibletothem.Todate,nobetterformhasbeeninventedthanself-contained,simplyorganizedandclearlywrittencivilcodes.

After all, the style of the seminal civil code belonging to this category of citizen-friendly(ratherthanjurist-friendly)codesiscloseenoughtothatofabillofrights,suchastheDeclarationoftherightsofManandtheCitizen(France1789),theUnitedStatesBillofrights(FirstAmendmentstotheUSConstitution1791),ormorerecentinstruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human rights (1948), the Euro-peanConventiononHumanrights(1950)andtheCharterofFundamentalrightsoftheEuropeanUnion(2000).Thoughcontaininggeneralclausesinsignificantnum-bers,civilcodestendtobemoreprecisethanthehumanrightsinstruments,writteninverygenerallanguagesubjecttomultiplepossibleinterpretations.

Betweenaloosebillofrightsandextremelydetailedregulations,civilcodesmayofferthebestpossibleratioofaccessibilityandpredictability,whichisafterallwhatpeoplemostlyneedtoplantheirlivesanddailyaffairs.Unlesspeoplehavecomplexinterests,thereshouldnotbeaneedtoinvestincostlylegaladviceinordertochoosea matrimonial regime or to decide for separation rather than divorce. Likewise, acodecanmakeitveryclearwhatasaleisasopposedtoalease,orusufructasopposedtofullownership.Itcanexplaininclearandaccessibletermswhatobligationsthesellerowesthebuyerregardingthequalityofthecommoditiesthataresold.

Civilcodesprovingtobethemostefficientwayofservingsuchpurposes,thenextquestionis:shoulditbedoneatnational(orsometimesregional)level,ordoesEuro-pean integration require that this be done at the European Union level? For mostquestionsdealtwithincivilcodes,thereisnoobviousneedforuniformlaws.Sincethe EU is meant to serve unity within diversity, Europe may easily integrate whilekeepingmultiplecivilcodes.

B. Why We Do not Need a European Civil Code: A Plea for Diversity

That some of the matters typically included in civil codes may need Europeanharmonization or occasional unification is not disputed here. Who can make thepointhowever,thatunificationisdesiredforallaspectsthataredealtwithinacivilcode?

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One may say truly that codification has been a formidable and powerful tool ofunification of national law. This cannot be denied, especially by a French scholar.However,thismostlyhappenedwithintheambitofcentralizedStates.Switzerlandappearshereasanexception:thefederalStatehadnojurisdictiontoimposeaCodeofObligationsorlateraCivilCode.Ittookconstitutionalchangetopermitaconfed-erationofsometimesverysmallunitstoliveunderuniformlaws,moresuitableforpractical reasons and also because they were wanted. Western Germany became afederationafterWorldWarII,buthadahistoryofbeinggovernedbyoneCivilCode,explainingwhyitcouldbeimposedontheEasternpartafterthereunification.

TheEuropeanswantastrongUnion,but theyalsowishtopromotenationalcul-turesanddiversity.Thisiswhythechoicewasmadeformultilingualismevenifthisbecomes expensive and cumbersome after so many enlargements and the increas-ingnumberofofficiallanguages.2Whyshouldthelawthatpertainstolandbeuni-fiedthroughouttheEU?Doestheincreasedmobilityofthepeopledemandthatweunifythelawofmarriage,divorce,matrimonialregimes,orsuccessions?Weshouldthenpleadforuniversallaws,giventhemoreandmoresignificanttranscontinentalmigrations.Onmostmatterswherethelawsremaindiverse,practicalproblemscanberesolvedbytheharmonizationorevenunificationoftherulesofconflictoflaws.Astothesubstanceoftherules,mostnationsthathaveexperiencedbuildingfedera-tionsorconfederationshavechosentotransferminimalpowerstothecenterandtokeepalargelydecentralizedorganization,leavingindividualstatesorprovincesfreetoadoptthecivillawstheyseefit.

Themajor,quasi-existential,problemoftheEUisthatitrefusestoviewitselfasa confederation of otherwise sovereign States. The fact that it proclaims itself tobesomethingentirelynewanddifferentshouldnot impresstheanalyst. It isclearthatMemberStatesarewillingtotransfersignificantamountsofcompetencetotheUnion, sometimes more than has ever been transferred to the Federal State in theUnitedStatesofAmerica.ButitisalsoclearthatMemberStatesdonotwanttoaban-dontheirsovereigntyandfearthatthismayhappenwiththecreationofatruefederalState.ThistensioncausestheUniontodevelopwithmoreandmoreintegration,yetnotinasuitablydemocraticmanner,becauseofinadequatedecision-makingtech-niques.ThepeoplesofEuropeseemoreandmorecompetencesgoingtotheUnionandfeelinsecureaboutwhatremainstobedecidedatthenationalorregionallevel,understandingthattheborderlineisalwayssubjecttochange.Thiscausesanxietyandtriggersnationalismandanti-Unionfeelings.

Aclear-cutdistributionofpowers,limitingthosebeingdevolvedtotheUnionandreservingallotherstotheMemberStates,wouldhavethegreatadvantageofcalmingthefearsofthosewhodonotwanttodissolveintoacentralizedUnion.Itisnowon-derthatGermanyappearstobethechampionofsuchafederalistmodel:Germany

2 See O. Moréteau, Can English Become the Common Legal Language in Europe? in: r. Schulze/G. Ajani(eds.),CommonPrinciplesofEuropeanPrivateLaw(2003)405ff.

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experiencesthebenefitsofexistingasafederalStateandknowshowsuchasystemprotectslocalculturesandidentities.ItisnowonderthatcountrieslikeFranceortheUnitedKingdom,whichdevelopedaspowerfullycentralizedStatesandhavenoexpe-rienceoffederalism,tendtorejectamodelinwhichtheywrongfullyfearthedissolu-tionoftheirnationalidentity.

Alookatoutsideexperiencemaybehighlysignificanthere.NoonewouldquestionthattheUnitedStatesofAmericaisapowerfulnation.Andyet,lookingatthealloca-tionofpowersbetweentheFederalStateandtheindividualStates,itclearlyappearsthat whatever is dealt with in traditional civil codes falls within the jurisdiction oftheindividualstates,nottheFederalState.Thisdoesnotpreventmobilityacrossthestates.Othermechanismsfavorharmonizationwhereveritisneeded.

Ofcourse,Europeancountriesappeartobefarmorepluralisticanddiverse,buttheUnitedStatesalsoknowsofthediversitybetweenthecommonlawandthecivillaw,thelatterbeinglargelymaintainedinLouisianaandtoaverylimitedextentinsome of those states that once were Spanish colonies. One may also contend thattheUnitedStatesisanationof immigrantslinkedtogetherbyaprincipletorejectstrongstateorreligiousauthority,acceptingthatindividualdynamismmustprevailover state protection, that there is enough there to keep the society homogeneous.ThingsmaylookotherwiseinEurope.However,whereverthisdoesnotpreventfreecirculationandsuitableintegration,whatistheinconvenienceofkeepinglargepock-etsofdiversity?

ApluralisticapproachmayfavorabetterdevelopmentofboththeUnionanditsmembers:themoresuitablemodelswillemergeandbeimitated.Improvedcommu-nicationandknowledgeof thesystemsof theothersmattermorethanbeforeandmustofcoursebepromoted.Ittakesthemasteryofcommonlanguagesbutalsotheknowledgeofsomeofthelessspokenlanguagesofthecommunity.

Civilcodeswillbethesubjectofcomparativestudies.Individualscholars,teamsofscholars,orgroupsworkingattheharmonizationandimprovementofthecivillaw,liketheEuropeanGroupofTortLaw,ofwhichProfessorHelmutKoziolisapromi-nentmember,alreadyundertakethattask.Codeswillotherwisekeeptheirnationaltouchoraurawhereverpeoplewanttokeepthem.WhyshouldtheGermansbeforcedtoabandonthesystemicorganizationoftheBGB?WhyshouldtheFrenchbeforcedtoleaveasidewhathasbeencalledtheirCivilConstitution?WhyshouldtheUKortherepublicofIrelandbeforcedtoacceptacivilcodeifthisisnotthewilloftheirpeople?

The whole idea behind the Union is to avoid the emergence of new hegemonieswithin Europe. The quest of a European Civil Code is pushing some towards theresearchofalliancestomakesuretheirfavoritemodelwillbeelected.Ifsuccessful,thiswillgeneratefrustrationsandtensionsamongothers,whichmayoutweighsomeadvantagesofauniformlaw.

Itmustbeclearthatthisisnotapleaforlegalnationalism.IwouldpreferaEuro-peanCivilCodetoasituationwhereeveryMemberStatewouldfallbacktocherish-

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ingitsownnationaltraditioninfullignoranceofthatofothers.AsignificantvirtueofaEuropeanCivilCodeisthatitwouldgiveallEuropeansasingleobjectofstudyandforcethemoutofalargelynationalisticapproachofthecoresubjectsofprivatelaw.

Thoughconvinceditwouldbeanimportanttool,IamnotsureaEuropeanCivilCodeisneededforthatpurpose.MuchistobedonetoEuropeanizelegaleducation,developingErasmusprograms,andpromotingacomparativeapproachoflegaltop-ics.3Letuskeepopeningourlegalcurriculumtootherlegaltraditions,toacompara-tiveortrans-systemicapproach,asdoneinotherpartsoftheworld.Letuscompareourcodes,confrontthemwithPrinciplesofEuropeanTortLaw,PrinciplesofEuro-peanContractLaworelse,inattemptstoimprovethemwhilekeepingintactthegen-iusofthevariouspeoplethatformtheEuropeanUnion.

Alotcanbelearnedfromothers,regardingorganizationanddraftingtechniques,whenthetimecomesfortherevisionofoldcodesorrecodification.

C. Rethinking Revision and Recodification: Drafting for the Citizens

Codificationdoesnotputtheevolutionofthecivillawtoastandstill,asFriedrich Karl von Savignyoncefeared.Thereismuchlifeinthelaw,bywayofjudicialinterpreta-tionbutalsolegislativereform.Thelattercantaketheformofrevisionorrecodifica-tion,butmayalsogeneratedecodification,aspartofthelifeofthecodes(A).Improve-mentsmaybeproposedtomakesurethatrevisionandrecodificationremainpeopleoriented(B).

I. TheLifeoftheCodes

Codes are sometimes decodified as a consequence of empirical legislative reform,distortingthestructureofthecodeorreformingsignificantmattersbywayofancil-larylegislationthatisnolongertobefoundinthecode.Effortstorewritethecodes,eitherpartlyorcompletely,andsometimespiecemeal,areconfusinglydescribedasrevisionorrecodification.Afewdoctrinaleffortshavebeenmadetoclarifythecon-ceptsofdecodification,revision,andrecodification.4

Aredefinitionofthosetermswasrecentlyproposed,basedonarchitecturalmeta-phors,comparingcodeswithchurchesortemples.5

Codificationistheconstructionofahomogenousbuildingwherethespiritcanbefelt ineverysinglestone,windoworornament.Wherethebuildingisexpandedin

3 O. Moréteau,Bilandesantédel’enseignementdudroit,in:L.Castonguay/N.Kasirer(eds.),Etudieretens-eignerledroit:hier,aujourd’huietdemain(2006)273ff.

4 McAuley,Loy.L.rev.49(2003)261ff.;O. Moréteau/A. Parise,recodificationinLouisianaandLatinAmerica,TulaneLawreview(Tul.L.rev.)83(2009)1103ff.

5 Moréteau/Parise,Tul.L.rev.83(2009)1105ff.

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suchawaythattheconnectionbetweenthedifferentpartsislost,onegetsclosetowhatiscalleddecodification.Thismaybetheadditionofnewchaptersinthecodethatdonotconnectclearlytotheoriginaltext–liketheadditionoftheregimeofcon-tractswithtouroperators,fullofconsumerprotections,makingexceptiontothegen-erallawofobligations.Likeunconnectedwingsofanenlargedbuilding,theyexistnext to it, and the material is sometimes of a different fabric. Decodification alsooccurswhenextensionsaretotallyunconnected,likeseparatestatutesorfreestand-ingbuildings.6

Codescanberevisedbythereformofoneorseveralarticles,chapters,ortitles.Itsometimeshappensthattheentirecodeisrewritten,sometimesastheconsequenceofacompleterevisionprocess,ashappenedintheNetherlandsandQuebec.

Partialrevisionmayrevitalizethecode,butmayalsotriggeradecodificationproc-esswheretherevisioncausesthecodetoloseitscoherence.Decodificationalsotypi-callyhappenswiththemultiplicationofancillarystatutesoutsidethecode,dealingwithmattersthatwereonceregulatedbythecodeitself.

recodification is sometimes the answer. The entire civil code may be rewritten,either on a new structure, or based on new doctrines or ideas. The new civil coderegainsthedensityandgravitythepreviousonehadlostbytheeffectofrevisionanddecodification.Thenewcivilcodeappearslikearevitalizedstarinthelegalsystem,andwemaydescribethisas“solarrecodification.”7

recodification,however,oftentakesplaceinafarlessambitiousway.Decodifiedmatterswillnotbereturnedtothecivilcode.Theywillbeamalgamatedintospecial-ized codes that may be described as satellite codes, revolving around a less denseandpartlyemptiedcivilcode.Thesesatellitecodesareoftenlittlemorethanclericalcompilations,comingclosetothecommonlawideaofconsolidation.Theydonothavethedensityofthecivilcode.Thosesatellitecodesaregenerallycreatedbecausethosespecificareasoflawstartedtodevelopfragmentarilyoutsideofthecivilcode,thusgeneratingadecodificationprocess.Thisprocessmaybedescribedas“satelliterecodification.”8

Likesolarrecodification,satelliterecodificationismeanttomakelegalprovisionsmoreaccessibleforjuristsandlaypersonsalike.However,itoftenappearstobemoretechnical,andtherefore,lessaccessibletoordinarycitizens.

recodification may generate new types of re-energized civil codes, strengthen-ingthesolarsystem.Examplesofsolarrecodificationarenotmany.QuebecandtheNetherlandsmaytosomeextentpassthetest.

recodificationmoreoftenresultsintheenactmentofloosesatellitecodes,whichwouldprobablynotpassthetestofbeingcalledcodesintheNapoleonicorGermanic

6 Ibid.,1106.7 Moréteau/Parise,Tul.L.rev.83(2009)1109ff.8 Ibid.,1109ff.

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sense.Thesesatellitesrevolve,sometimesatadistantorbit,aroundaweakenedsolarcivilcode,whichmayundergorevisionsandcontinueddecodification.

For instance, France allowed substantial matters to be moved outside the CivilCode. Legislation on insurance and consumer protection grew outside the codebywayofseparatestatutes,causingadecodificationprocess.TheenactmentofanInsuranceCodeandaConsumerCodeweremeanttoconsolidatedispersedlegisla-tion,andthislookslikerecodificationintheformofsatellitecodes.Totakethemostrecentofthosecodes(theCode de la consommation),itwasnotmeanttobemorethanarearrangedcollectionofexistingstatutesandregulationsprotectingconsumersinvarious transactions, without any change in substance. The content table appearsmorecoherent,andliketheCode des assurances,itcontainsalegislativepartandaregulationpart.Thesecodesarearearrangedcollectionofexistinglegislationandregulationonagiventopic,tomakethetextsmoreaccessible.Theyareacollectionratherthanasystem,andaresatellitestotheCivilCode.

Otherjurisdictionsprefertoremedythedisordercausedbydecodificationwitharevisionprocess.InGermany,consumerprotectionwasmovedintotheCivilCodeontheoccasionofthebigreformofthelawofobligationsatthebeginningofthepresentcentury.WhilethisistechnicallyarevisionoftheBGB,itmayalsobedescribedasdecodification, in thesensethatsomeof thenewprovisionsdonotconnecteasilywiththerestofthecodeorareofadifferentfabric.

Howmayweimprovethecodes,inordertokeepthemaccessibletothecitizens?Hereareafewthoughtsthatmayhelpimprovedraftingtechniques.

II. ImprovingDraftingTechniques

To be citizen-friendly, both revision and recodification must take into account citi-zens’ needs and be accessible to them. This supposes that citizens be consultedbeforehand(a)andthatcodesbedraftedinsimpleandunderstandablelanguage(b).

1. DirectConsultation

Theneedsandconcernsofthepeoplecannotbeignored.IntheUnitedStates,thisisthetaskoflobbyists.Atbest,lobbyistswillconveylegitimateconcernsofthepeople.Atworse,theywillonlyvoicethedemandsofprivateinterestgroups,whichmaynotcoincidewiththewelfareofthecommunityatlargeormayevennegateit.

Oursocietiesmayhavemovedtoofarinconsideringindividualorprivateneedsattheexpenseofsocietalneeds.Theimpactofenvisagedlegislationonthepeopleasindividualsandonthecommunityatlargehastobeconsidered,beyondtheaspira-tionsofprivateconstituencies.Thisistheessenceofgoodlegislation.

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Institutionalizedconsultativepracticeshavemushroomedinallwesterncountries,sometimesbringingthelegislativeandregulatorysystemstothebrinkofasphyxia.Themultiplicationofconsultativebodiesandthenecessitytowait fortheopinionofmanyofthembeforepassinglawsormakingregulationsisacauseofdelayandsometimesobstruction.

TheFrenchGovernmentrecentlyreviewedtheprocess,shuttingdownconsultativebodies that did not prove useful and promoting informal consultation.9 In France,institutional consultation is largely abandoned. New social practices and informa-tiontechnologiesnowpermitconsultationwithoutthecreationofspecialinstances.Chatgroupsandforumsmaybeorganizedontheweb,telephoneandvideoconfer-encingalsocanbeused,aswasthecaseforthelargeconsultationthatrecentlytookplace on environmental concerns, under the name of Grenelle de l’environnement.Moderntechnologiesfavortheappearanceanddevelopmentofnewformsofdirectdemocracy.

2. SimpleLanguage

Codesaretobewritteninsimpleandclearlanguage.Thisshouldapplytoalllegis-lation:commonlawcountriesarealsopressuredtoadoptplainlanguageinstatutes.Thisisofcoursetobeexpectedincivilcodes,betheyoriginalortheproductofasolarrecodification(1).Specialtechniquesmaybeproposedinthecaseofsatellitecodes(2).

a. CivilCodesThelanguageofcivilcodesisatopictoolargetobefullydiscussedhere.TheFrenchCivilCodeispraisedforitsclarityandsimplicityandblamedforalackoflanguageconsistencyandtoofrequentpolysemy.TheGermanBGBispraisedforitslanguageprecisionandconsistency,butblamedforitsabstractnessandtechnicality.Thefor-merismadeforthecitizen,thelatterforthejurist.

Acitizen-centeredcivilcodecannotaffordtobetooabstractortechnical.Thelan-guagemustbeintelligibleandintuitive.Polysemyisnotaproblemunlessitappearsinside one given provision, thus generating confusion. The reader can understandthatthecauseofdamagementionedinonearticleissomethingdifferentfromthecauseofacontractmentionedinanotherarticleifthecodeexplainsthatthelatteristhereasonwhyonecontracts.

9 Décretno.2006–672of8June2006onthecreation,composition,andoperationofconsultativeadminis-trativecommissions,JournalOfficiel(J.O.)9June2006,8706;Circulaire8December2008modernizingconsultation,J.O.10December.2008,18777.SeeP. Deumier,L‘adieuauxCommissionsadministrativesconsultatives,revuetrimestriellededroitcivil(rTDCiv)2009,81ff.

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Definitionsarewelcome,wheneveratechnicaltermappearsorwhereacommontermisusedwithaspecificlegalmeaning.Likewise,examplesoccasionallymaybegiven,tomaketheruleclearer.

Allthisisnothingnew,butshouldnotbeforgottenbycontemporarylawmakers.

b. SatelliteCodesSatellitecodes10oftendealwithmoretechnicalmatters,makingitmoredifficulttowriteinclearandaccessiblelanguage.Inaddition,evenifthedraftingisclearandaccessible,theoveralllengthcreatesachallenge,deterringcitizensfromevenconsi-deringthereadingofsuchcodes.Thesameappliestolongtechnicalcontractssuchasleases,insurancecontracts,orsoftwarelicensesthatpeopleapproveblindlywit-houtasingleattempttoengageintothereading.

Thedraftingofcodearticleswithtwodifferenttexts, asimplifiedversionforthelaypersonandamoresophisticatedoneforthejurist,maysoundsomehowsurpris-ing,andyetitdoesinasensemeetexistingpractice.Itmaybecomparedtoadou-ble-deckerbus,withlaypersonstravelingontheupper-deckandjuristsonthelower-deck,itbeingclearthatthebusisoneandmustdriveinonedirectionatatime.

Codes having a legislative and a regulatory part are more or less double-deckercodes.Yet,thisisnotexactlytheidea.Hereishowourdouble-deckercodemaybeconceived.Themainpurposeandeffectofcomplexlegislativeprovisionsshouldbedraftedinshorttwoorthree-linearticles,couchedinasimpleandeasilyunderstand-able style, in bold and attractive print to be accessible to the layperson and attrac-tiveforreading.Thisconstitutesthelayperson-deck.Necessarytechnicalprovisionswouldfollow,usingwhereneedbemoretechnicallanguageandgivingthejuristthenecessarydetailsomittedfromthesimplifiedtext.Thisconstitutesthejurist-deck.

Anyattempttointerpretprovisionsinthejurist-deckcontrarytotheletterorthespirit of the layperson-deck would of course be ruled out, inasmuch as it is illegaltohavearegulatorytextcontraveningthelegislativeprovision.Theupperlayperson-deckwillalwayscontrol,ascommandedbytraditionalcivilianrulesofinterpretation.Thisismuchinlinewiththeideaofhavingcodesthatsafeguardtherightsoftheciti-zens.11

Theconceptofthedouble-deckercodemaybeafertileidea,alsotoflourishincon-tractualpractice.Largecompaniesmayorganizetheircontractsandgeneralcondi-tionsthesameway,withshortself-explanatoryclausesonthelayperson-deckandthemoredetailedonesonthejurist-deck,therulebeingthatthesophisticatedclausesmaynotcontradictthesimplifiedones.Peopletypicallysignwithoutreading,largelybecausecontractualdocumentsaretoolong,verbose,andtechnicallyobscure.The

10 Seedefinition,supra.11 O. Moréteau, Codes as Strait-Jackets, Safeguards and Alibis: The Experience of the French Civil Code,

NorthCarolinaJournalofInternationalLawandCommercialregulation(N.C.J.Int’lL.&Com.reg.)20(1995)273ff.

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chancethatpeoplewouldreadatleasttheintelligiblepartofwhattheysignonpaper,oracceptbyamouse-clickwhencontractingonline,mighttherebybeincreased.

Onlylesshonestorlesscompetentlawyersmaylivewiththefearthatpeoplemayunderstandthelawsimposedonthemorthecontractstheyadhereto.Double-deckerlaw-makingorcontractingmaynotbesufficienttoplacelaypersonsorcitizensbackonthedriver’sseat,butatleastputsaclearmapintotheirhands.Thisisoneofthetenetsofthecivillawtradition,magnifiedbytheTwelveTables,theCorpusJurisCivi-lis,andthenationalcivilcodes.

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