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Notes on the decision by CICR (Interministerial Committee for Credit and Savings) on 4 March 2003 and the Governor of the Bank of Italy's Implementation Order of 25 July 2003 is presented. The CICR's decision includes provisions concerning contractual transparency relating to the conclusion and execution of the contract and the financial transactions and services offered by brokers in Italy, with consumer credit.

The Italian interpretation of the Code Civil, which from stage to stage, had formed a kind of fabric into which the values and rules adapted at the time the Code is applied are woven, is presented. It is learnt that Code Civil continues to influence the drafting of civil codes in Italy, also including the drafting of the first unitary code of 1865, and the Italians believe that the Code, having lost all direct contact with Italian positive law, should be analyzed as a 'product of history', and this is the reason why they prefer to call it the 'Code Napoleon' instead of the Code Civil.

The role played by the notion of 'strict liability' in criteria used for attributing civil as well as criminal liability in Italy is considered. The problem created by widely divergent responses to this notion in relation to compensation for damages is examined.

The Lawyer's Congress provides an ideal opportunity for lawyers to look at how things are changing, to learn lessons from the past, and to gain insights on the current situation. Issues such as the lawyer's role in the administration of justice, ushering in judicial reforms, the challenges faced by the legal profession are discussed.