Le ministere public, partie principale dans le proces civil

The french public attorneys - ministere publix - acting as a main party in civil cases of major public interest

• Auteur / Autrice : Véronique Mikalef-Toudic
• Direction : Jacques Héron
• Type : Thèse de doctorat
• Discipline(s) : Droit privé
• Date : Soutenance en 1997
• Etablissement(s) : Caen

Résumé

Le nouveau code de procedure civile prevoit deux modes d'action du ministere public en matiere civile. Il agit en qualite de partie jointe mais le terme de partie n'est pas adequat, puisque le procureur de la republique se contente de donner son avis quant a la solution a donner au litige. Le ministere public est partie principale dans le proces civil quand il agit comme demandeur ou comme defendeur. Le nouveau code de procedure civile distingue les cas specifies par la loi et la defense de l'ordre public. Ces criteres permettent de determiner l'origine legale de l'action du ministere public mais ils ne peuvent fonder les criteres d'une classification satisfaisante. Afin de classer les actions du ministere public, il faut etablir des criteres techniques. Pour ce faire, il faut analyser le role et le but poursuivi par le parquet quand il est demandeur ou defendeur. Un critere technique reside dans le fait que le ministere public agit comme representant de l'etat ou comme defenseur des interets generaux de la societe. Des elements de theorie du droit mettent en evidence les caracteristiques de l'action du parquet, partie principale. La classification proposee distingue les cas ou le ministere public represente l'etat et ceux dans lesquels il defend les interets generaux de la societe. Des regles de droit commun de procedure civile s'appliquent a l'action du ministere public quelle que soit sa qualite. Mais le role et les pouvoirs accordes au magistrat du parquet different selon qu'il represente ou non l'etat. En cette qualite, le ministere public agit pour obtenir la reconnaissance d'un droit substantiel de l'etat. Son action doit alors etre assimilee a celle d'un particulier. Quand il defend les interets generaux de la societe, son action est plus specifique puisqu'il ne met pas en oeuvre un droit substantiel. Il agit dans le cadre de sa mission generale pour veiller a la bonne application de la loi.

The french new code of civil procedure enables the + ministere public ; to become a party to civil proceedings through two different ways. The firs one is described as acting as a collateral party (+ partie jointe ;), an inappropriate phrase as the officer in charge does no more than advise the court about a particular case. Anyhow, that first situation is to be contrasted with the following one : the ministere public stands as a main party to the proceedings where they act either as plaintiff or defendant. The french new code of civil procedure differentiates between causes action given by statutes and matters of public order. Such a distinction helps in defining the source of the ministere public officer's power, but it does no provide any conclusive principle for classification. A proper classification in the given field demands the setting up of legal technical criteria. In that view, it is necessary to examine the functions public attorneys play and the goals they seek to achieve as plaintiffs or defendants. The technical criterium lies with the role they fulfil either as representatives of the state or as endorsing the general interests of society. Legal jurisprudence sheds light on the features of the ministere public's actions as plaintiff or defendant. We advocate a classification based on a distinction between cases in which public attorneys represent the state and those in which their task is to defend the general interests of society. Where the + ministere public ; take part in civil proceeding, some common rules of civil procedure always apply. On the contrary, the ministere public's role and powers differ depending on the whether officers stand as agents for the state or not. In the former capacity, the + ministere public ; take action in order to recognition of some right for the state. In such circumstances, their legal acting (as plaintiff or defendant), should not be regarded as different from a similar one emanating from a private person. But, when they defend the general interests of society, their legal + acting ; show particular features of their own, for no personal right is there involved. The public attorneys then act in order to fulfil their basic mission of seeing to the right and proper enforcement of the law.