بازاندیشی معیار ذی‌نفعی خواهان و امکان‌سنجی طرح دعوا از سوی ثالث در مسئولیت مدنی

نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسنده

استادیار دانشگاه حضرت معصومه (س)

10.22099/jls.2023.44322.4773

چکیده

در اصول بنیادین دادرسی مدنی، طرح دعوا و دادخواهی منوط به مطالبه شخص ذی­نفع است که به‌واسطه اقدام‌ خوانده دچار خسارت شده و با استفاده از دادرسی خواستار جبران آن به شیوه متناسب است. طبق این دیدگاه، طرح دعوا از جانب ثالث به معنی آغاز فرایند دادرسی بدون خواست و رضایت ذی­نفع، ناممکن و بدون منطق حقوقی قلمداد می­شود. هدف این مقاله اثبات این مطلب است که در برخی موارد خاص به‌واسطه عدم امکان یا متمایل نبودن ذی­نفع در استفاده از نهاد دادرسی، مداخله ثالث به‌عنوان طرح‌کننده دعوا ازنظر حقوقی توجیه‌پذیر و مطلوب است. فرضیه این است که چنین رویکردی با لزوم بازنگری در قوانین و ضابطه­مند کردن موارد مجاز طرح دعوای ثالث، به ارتقای کارکرد اجتماعی حقوق مسئولیت منجر شده و دسترسی به استفاده از دادرسی برای فیصله منازعات حقوقی را تسهیل می‌کند. ضمن ارزیابی اشکالات و ابهام‌های استفاده از این روش، راه­کارهای تدبیر و رفع هریک نیز موردمطالعه قرار می­گیرد. یافته­های این تحقیق نشان می­دهد می­توان رسمیت دادن به دعوای ثالث را از موجبات ارتقای کارآمدی نظام قضایی در حمایت مؤثرتر از شهروندان و ایجاد هنجارهای رفتاری در جامعه دانست و استفاده از این نهاد را با مبانی نظام حقوقی ایران نیز سازگار قلمداد کرد.

کلیدواژه‌ها

موضوعات


عنوان مقاله [English]

Reevaluating Plaintiff Criteria and Third-Party Lawsuits in Civil Liability: A Comprehensive Analysis

نویسنده [English]

  • Mohammad Hosein Vakili Moghadam
Hazrate Masumeh University, Qom, Iran.
چکیده [English]

In the realm of civil procedures, the right to bring a lawsuit traditionally hinges upon the claim of the injured party seeking compensation for harm caused by the actions of the defendant. According to this conventional perspective, the initiation of a lawsuit by a third party, without the consent of the injured party, has been deemed inconceivable and lacking legal rationale. This article challenges the fundamentals of this prevailing approach, demonstrating that in specific cases where the beneficiary faces difficulties or is unwilling to engage in legal proceedings, the involvement of a third party as the instigator of the claim can be legally justifiable and desirable.
This alternative perspective calls for a reevaluation of existing laws and regulations regarding third-party claims, ultimately enhancing the societal function of liability law and facilitating access to legal procedures for resolving disputes. In addition to addressing the issues and ambiguities associated with this approach, the article also explores potential challenges and solutions for resolving them. In some legal systems, formalizing third-party claims can enhance the effectiveness of the legal framework, better protect citizens, and establish behavioral norms within society.
When determining the responsible party in civil liability claims, legal rules have undergone significant changes, resulting in multiple criteria and interpretations for assessing the scope of an individual's responsibility for 
harmful actions. Today, causation is not solely based on identifying the closest cause, and individuals may consider themselves defendants if they can demonstrate a more reasonable position in preventing harm. Furthermore, the pursuit of damages against individuals with financial advantages or superior risk management capabilities has been defended.
Conversely, the criteria for identifying the plaintiff have been less contentious. Despite minimal legal debate regarding the concept of loss and its sustainable forms, civil procedures universally emphasize the requirement of the injured party to initiate a claim. The only accepted basis for determining the plaintiff is that the individual suffered harm due to the defendant's injurious act.
The intersection of civil procedures and civil liability is where third-party lawsuits for compensation come into play. Traditionally, the purpose of civil procedures has been to facilitate the compensation of damages through the law of liability, with the injured party serving as the initiator of the legal process and claimant for compensation. Consequently, the initiation of a claim for compensation by a third party has lacked legal rationale and practical viability. However, a reinterpretation of the essentials acknowledges the victim's desire to file a lawsuit. This approach revitalizes the societal role of law and recognizes that, beyond individual-centered aspects of proceedings, third parties may bring claims if the failure of the injured party to do so disrupts social order. Such an approach can deter reckless behavior and the violation of societal norms.
While the criterion for identifying the claimant remains fundamental in litigation, it acquires a broader interpretation. Claimant status is extended to any individual who, by informing the legal framework about the occurrence of harm, requests legal proceedings and the sanctioning of the injuring party. Implementing this approach, which offers numerous advantages, necessitates legislative amendments to regulate its use.
Based on the arguments presented, it is recommended that legal reforms clarify that the primary rule for seeking compensation is for the injured party to initiate the action. However, if a third party initiates the action, and after verifying the accuracy of the information provided, the court hears the claim by notifying the injured party. Upon confirming the claim's validity, a portion of the compensation will be awarded to the third party. If the victim declines to accept the remainder, it can be allocated to a fund aimed at reducing similar losses in the future.
This article explores the possibility of third-party claims for damages as an exceptional and conditional approach with legal advantages. Key questions addressed in this article include the justification of third-party lawsuits based on general principles and rules, their advantages and disadvantages, their validity within Iran's legal system, and potential solutions for harnessing their benefits while mitigating their drawbacks.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

  • Compensation
  • Damages
  • Direct Interest
  • Legal Interest
  • Litigants
ALI (The American Law Institute) & Unidroit (2006). Principles of Transnational Civil Procedure, London: Cambridge University Press.
Ashtiani, M. H. (1987). Kitab al-Qada, Tehran: Rangin Printing House [In Arabic].
Cappelletti, M. & Perillo, J. (2000). Civil Procedure in Italy, London: Springer.
Fazel Handi, M. (2001). Kashf al-Latham wa Al-Abham on the Laws of Al-Ahkam, Vol. 10, Qom: Islamic Publications Office. [In Arabic].
Glannon, J. (2013). Civil Procedure, London: Wolters Kluwer.
Goldberg, J. & Zipursky, B. (2013). Tort Law and Responsibility, Fordham Law Legal Studies Research Paper, No. 2268683.
Guttel, E. & Harel, A. & Lavie, S. (2018). Torts for No Victims: The Case for Third Party Litigation, University of Illinois Law Review, Vol. 20. 1045- 1090.
Hoff, T. (2008). Joinder of Claims and Parties under the Alabama Rules of Civil Procedure, Alabama Law Review, 25(3), 620 – 680.
Jafari Langroudi, M. J. (2015). Expanded on Legal Terminology, Volume 3, Tehran: Ganj Danesh [In Persian].
Jolowicz, J. (2008). On Civil Procedure, London: Cambridge University Press.
Kashif-al-Ghata, A. (2000). Al-Nur al-Sati fi fiqh al-Nafi, Vol. 1, Qom: School of Islam [In Arabic].
Khodabakhshi, A. (2022). Claims Law: General Rules of Claims, Volume 1, Tehran: Sahami Enteshar Company [In Persian].
Kodilinye, G. (2009). Commonwealth Caribbean Civil Procedures, New York: Routledge-Cavendish.
Loughin, P. & Gerlis, S. (2007). Civil Procedure, London: Cavendish Publishing.
Matin Daftari, A. (2011). Civil and Commercial Procedures, Volume 1, Tehran: Majd Publications [In Persian].
Mohseni, H. (2018). Interest in Lawsuits: A Review of Legal Doctrine and Judicial Practice of Iran and France, Legal Studies, 11(1), 237-266 [In Persian], DoI: 10.22099/JLS.2019.5240
Najafi, H. (1999). Jawaharlal Kalam fi Sharh Shar'i al-Islam, Vol. 40, Beirut: Dar Ihya al-Tarath al-Arabi [In Arabic].
Ranjbar, A. (2017). Proof of interest in public law litigation, Administrative Law Quarterly, 5(14), 55-76 [In Persian]. DoI: 10.22059/QJL.2023.348788.100771
Rhee, C. (2020). Towards Harmonised European Rules of Civil Procedure: Obligations of the Judge, the Parties and Their Lawyers, Access to Justice in Eastern Europe, No.1.
Safai, H. and Habibullah R. (2014). Civil liability (obligations outside the contract), Tehran: Samt [In Persian].
Salehi, M. K. and Afrasiabi, A. (2017). The position and limits of prosecutor's authority in Iran's criminal justice system, Criminal Law Research, 7(25), 191-230 [In Persian], DoI: https://doi.org/10.22054/jclr.2018.12592.1220
Shams, A. (2000). Civil Procedure Code, Volume 1, Tehran: Drak [In Persian].
Smith, H. (2013). Civil Procedure in France, Columbia University School of Law Project on International Procedure, Paris: Springer.
Stoica, A. (2014). The Prerequisites of Parties for Bringing a Civil Action under the New Code of Civil Procedure, Contemporary Readings in Law and Social Justice, Vol. 6(1), 310- 335.
Uzelac, A. (2014). Goals of Civil Justice and Civil Procedure in Contemporary Judicial Systems, London: Springer.
Vahedi, Q. (2002). Civil Procedure Rules, Tehran: Mizan Publishing [In Persian].
Yazdanian, A. (2016). General Rules of Civil Responsibility with a Comparative Study in French Law, Vol. 1, Tehran: Mezan Publishing [In Persian].
Yeazwll, S. & Schwartz, J. (2016). Civil Procedure, London: Wolters Kluwer.