Like most French politicians, Jacques Chirac is not exactly a cheerleader for American-style capitalism. Yet for the past two years France's president has been urging its parliament to pass legislation paving the way for class-action lawsuits. Thatrnwould allow large groups of plaintiffs, abetted by eager lawyers, to sue firms for damages arising from shoddy merchandise, say, or unfulfilled contracts. French businesses have reacted with predictable horror, and the government has put a proposed law on hold. But Italy is debating similar legislation, and Britain, Germany and Spain, among others, already allow class actions in certain circumstances (see page 71). In fact, the protesting capitalists are right to be worried about the American experience of class actions, but wrong to imply that Europe would automatically suffer the same fate.
展开▼
