Etienne Rigal, judge of the weak

Etienne Rigal, judge of the weak

by lagazettedeputeaux

Etienne Rigal, judge of the weak

By Claire Chartier





He is the hero of the last book of Emmanuel Carrère, other lives than mine. Portrait of Etienne Rigal, judge specialist in consumption.

Here it is, with her frail voice and robust body. A body of good living, which was able to friend-friend with the artificial leg that is devine under pants. Etienne Rigal walking mad paw since the age of 18 years. Eternal memory of cancer of the fibula, concluded by an amputation. Of this bad joke of the existence he fired an axiom: "Anything that comes from me is me." Disease, missteps, the acts with which we are not proud, such as those that grow you.



It must begin here to tell Etienne Rigal, 46 years, judge specialist in the consumer and light character of the last book of Emmanuel Carrère, other lives than mine (POL). Judge against exclusion is a formula that is more suited to this angry silencer, weighing every word, fleeing easy compassion. As echoes in this leg whose life deprived, it does not support the idea that citizens be banned from the "body of society" - it is his expression - for playing Russian roulette with their bank account. "Cancer has taught me the indulgence towards myself, he said." "Why would I make moral people who made mistakes, while me I spend on my own?"



The defender of the overburdened



Selected and complex, Etienne Rigal pushed the judicial tradition daring to defend the rights of bad payers. These overburdened, the offending history, slamming more than they win and are even not to the judge. As Emmanuel Carrère, it would have liked to be in Vienna (Isère), in the 1990s, to attend the hearings of Etienne, young magistrate in the Court of the city. In this quiet jurisdiction on the Rhone, he reveals L'EMMERDEUR outstanding qualities. Soon, credit agencies did more than this "judge red" - he said social democratic - who caught them by denouncing their advertisements to characters fly legs (less than 8 regulatory body) and irregular clauses from their contracts are... "Etienne is a determined lawyer" soberly summarizes his friend j. Philippe Flores, one of his former comrades to fight. Meticulous, sometimes sharp, the magistrate imposes little by little by its judgments the legitimacy of its action: it is based to an injustice which the victim is not complaint. Because the law is there for everyone. And that it protects the low spirits against those who want to take advantage. The Cofidis and Cofinoga strike back. In the spring of 2000, the Court of cassation whistles the end of recess.



There is still a justice. Year 2000 again, but in the month of October, this time. The magistrate is in his Office, occupied to browse legal journals. He suddenly falls on a judgment of the Court of justice of the European Communities (ECJ). It is matter of a credit society requiring contract its borrowers dissatisfied to file complaint to the tribunal of Barcelona, city where the Pharmacy has its headquarters. A catalan judge declares the unfair term. The ECJ gives him reason. This case law allows Etienne and his colleague Juliette start in the field. He turned to turn to the ECJ, successfully. Trial judges can now assert the rights of debtors in their place, if applicable. And the debtors, plead their cause without limitation. Etienne is now Vice-President of the High Court of Lyon. "I have the impression to my contract to me and others, slide it." It is an incredible opportunity. "All the rest, it is the rab."