In South Africa compliance with competition law has become a major concern for firms that achieve and maintain certain levels of success and growth in the market, as their actions are often a source of complaints and litigation by rivals and competition authorities. With substantial financial penalties often levied against them for a variety of conduct deemed to constitute an abuse of their market position, dominant firms must constantly be aware of the likely impact of their business strategies and actions on both rivals and consumers. What were once thought to be normal and economically sound business practices and decisions, such as cutting prices to attract customers, have now acquired new meanings, with devastating consequences for dominant firms. So, are dominant firms under attack from competition law? In this study I aim to determine this. I track the historical development of competition law in three jurisdictions: South Africa, America, and the EU, with the aim of identifying traces, if any, of hostility towards dominant firms in the origins of competition law. I further investigate whether the formulation and enforcement of certain aspects of existing abuse of dominance provisions manifest as hostility towards dominant firms. While acknowledging the important role that competition law enforcement plays in promoting competition and enhancing consumer welfare, I conclude that significant unjustified economic and legal prejudice is suffered by dominant firms as a result of the way in which certain abuse of dominance provisions have been formulated and applied. I also offer appropriate recommendations. / Mercantile Law / LL. D.

民國93年4月醫療法修正通過，第82條第2項明文規定：「醫療機構及其醫事人員因執行業務致生損害於病人，以故意或過失為限，負損害賠償責任。」本條之立法意旨係為避免一般必要性醫療若採無過失責任，則會造成防禦性醫療之產生，誠非病患與社會之益。雖修法後認定醫療行為不適用無過失責任規定，但醫療行為是否適用消保法其他規定，則未明文。然，新興醫療型態之美容醫學出現，人們不再單純為了治癒疾病進而追求外觀美貌，破除了一般必要性醫療之特性，此種「非治療性」且「非必要性」醫療的美容醫學服務，缺乏公益性且具消費營利特性，本文認為法律適用應與一般必要性醫療區別。又，我國消費者保護法未對服務設有定義性之文字，故本文加以分析美容醫學適用消費者保護法之理由。 研究方法上係以文獻分析法、美容醫學相關判決書內容分析法、美容醫學使用者之深度訪談法、筆者實際訪查美容醫學診所之參與觀察法，藉此推論出美容醫學之特性加以定性，亦從中了解美容醫學產業真實狀況以提出法律適用上之疑義。 管見認為我國應加強於美容醫學處置分類及美容醫學作業方面的能力要求、針對美容醫學廣告管制、美容醫學手術作業標準與美容醫學道德規範之建立。另，本文建議醫療法第82條第2項修法增訂但書：「但非以治療疾病目的之醫療行為，不在此限。」此種修法方式，則區分一般必要性醫療行為與非必要醫療行為，一則保護美容醫學消費者的權益，二則可據其反面解釋，更進一步確認「一般必要性醫療行為」適用過失責任之立法意旨。 / In 2014 April, Medical Care Act amend Article 82 section 2 “Medical care institutions and their medical personnel who harm patients in the execution of practice, whether deliberate or by accident, shall be responsible for compensation.” The purpose of this article is to avoid “Defensive Medicine” happen when the essential medical procedures apply to the no-fault liability, because Defensive Medicine won’t benefit the patients and the whole society. As a result, medical practice does not apply to strict liability after amending Medical Care Act. However, it doesn’t show medical practice is applicable Consumer Protection Law or not. Nowadays, people are no longer only to cure disease but to pursue the appearance of beauty. Therefore, new type of medical treatments appears - Aesthetic Medicine. This kind of medical treatment breaks down the traits of the essential medical procedures, such as "non-therapeutic" and "non-essential". Aesthetic Medicine which is losing sight of public welfare is actually a business guided by market structures aimed primarily at material gain and profit. Therefore, this study discusses the difference between Aesthetic Medicine and Medical Necessity, and why they should have the different applications of law. In Taiwan, Consumer Protection Law doesn’t define “the service”, so this study analyzed the reasons why Aesthetic Medicine should include in “the service” that should apply to Consumer Protection Law. The method of this study were Documentary Analysis, Content Analysis of the judgments relate to the Aesthetic Medicine, in-depth interview of the Aesthetic Medicine users, Participant Observation of the Aesthetic Medicine clinics, infer a conclusion from the fact that can realize the traits of the Aesthetic Medicine and question the way Aesthetic Medicine apply to the law. The results of this study would provide useful information in drawing related regulations, policies and management strategies. Key words: Cosmetic medicine, consumer protection laws, the non-necessity of medical care, medical cosmetic, medical disputes.

Suretyships given in favour of banks are being challenged in the courts on the basis of equitable doctrines of unconscionable conduct, undue influence, or statutory provisions dealing with unfair conduct or unfair contract terms. This thesis is an enquiry into a bank's duties of disclosure or advice to an intending surety. Such an investigation also necessitates a study of the relationship between banker and customer, as the surety is quite often a customer of the bank as well, and, as a surety's obligation to the bank is an accessory obligation, the obligation is dependent on a valid principal obligation between the bank and the principal debtor - the customer. The face of modern banking has, however, changed dramatically and most major banks have become multi-functional. As a result, the banker-customer relationship may often be seen as a fiduciary relationship. A major problem brought about my multi-functioning banks is that of conflicts of interest between the bank and its customer. Furthermore, the banker-customer relationship is providing much more scope for lender liability than in the past. Various factors are currently having an impact on the law of contract, and this is expected to affect the legal policy makers in their assessments of whether a duty of disclosure of material facts exits or not. A surety has long been a favoured debtor in the eyes of the law, and the courts have developed a plethora of technical principles on which a surety can be relieved of his obligation. The escape routes of the surety, especially if he is a consumer as well, on the new grounds of public policy, unconscionability, good faith or unreasonableness, are growing. The results of these trends is the expected demise of suretyship as an acceptable, cheap form of debt security in the banking sector. / Jurisprudence / LL.D.

Utveckling på kreditmarknaden har gett upphov till nya kreditformer. Ett exempel på en sådan kredit är snabblån. Snabblån utmärks av att det är kortfristiga lån på låga belopp som konsumenterna erhåller inom en kort tidsperiod. Vidare är låneprocessen enkel. Statistik från Kronofogdemyndigheten visar att antalet betalningsförelägganden med grund i snabblån har ökat (se bilaga) och regeringen hävdar på basis av statistiken att samband mellan snabblån och överskuldsättning föreligger. Lag om viss kreditgivning till konsumenter har därmed blivit antagen och ska införas. Lagen innebär att snabblångivares verksamhet blir tillståndspliktig samt omfattas av Finansinspektionens tillsyn. Förändringen innebär även att ytterligare krav ställs på snabblångivares bolagsordning, ägare och ledning samt att verksamheten bedrivs på ett sätt som är sunt. Avsikten med denna uppsats är att fastställa gällande rätt beträffande snabblångivares verksamhet. Vidare diskuteras huruvida konsumentskyddet på snabblånemarknaden är bristfälligt och om snabblångivares verksamhet därmed bör bli tillståndspliktig samt omfattas av Finansinspektionens tillsyn. Snabblångivare är finansiella institut och omfattas därmed av AnmL. Detta innebär att snabblångivare ska anmäla sin verksamhet till Finansinspektionen innan verksamhet får börja bedrivas. Finansinspektionen har begränsade ingripandemöjligheter och utför endast en kontroll över snabblångivarnas ägare och ledning. Snabblångivare omfattas även av skyldigheter som följer av KkrL såsom kravet på god kreditgivningssed, information om effektiv ränta, avgifternas utformning och kreditprövning. Snabblångivare har brustit i sina skyldigheter i KkrL vilket följer av domar från MD och flertalet viten och förelägganden från Konsumentverket. I analysen fastställs att Kronofogdemyndighetens statistik inte enskilt kan användas som grund till en förändring men i kombination med gällande rätts bristfällighet, snabblånets egenskaper och samhällets utveckling påvisas att konsumentskyddet är bristfälligt och att en förändring behövs. Vidare fastställs att systemstabiliserande regler har en indirekt inverkan på konsumentskyddet och kan införas för att förbättra denna. Efter en avvägning mellan förändringens betungande verkan för snabblångivarna och det skydd som konsumenterna erhåller ska förändringen i fråga ses som proportionerlig. Snabblångivares verksamhet bör således vara tillståndspliktig och omfattas av Finansinspektionens tillsyn. / Evolvement on the credit market has caused the rise of new forms of credits. An example of a credit of such is the payday loan. The payday loan is distinguished by its short-term, low amount and that the customers obtain the loan in a short matter of time. Furthermore, the process of obtaining the loan is simple. Statistics from the Swedish Enforcement Authority shows that the amount of injunctions to pay based on payday loans has increased (see attachment) and that the Government claims on the basis of the statistics that a connection between payday loans and overindebtness exists. A new act regarding some credits to consumers has therefore been adopted and is to be introduced. The new act means that the payday lender´s business becomes licensed and are subject to the supervision of the Swedish Financial Service Authority. The change also means additional demands on the payday lender´s articles of associtation, owners and management, and that the business is conducted in a healthy manner. The purpose of this essay is to determine the law as it exists regarding payday lender´s business. Further discussed is whether the consumer protection on the payday market is inadequate and if the payday lender´s business, thus, should be licensed and be subject to the supervision of the Swedish Financial Service Authority. Payday lenders are financial institutions and are therefore subject to the Act regarding the notification duty for some financial businesses. This means that the payday lenders shall report their business to the Swedish Financial Service Authority before operations may start. The Swedish Financial Service Authority has limited intervention possibilities and performs only a control of the owners and management. Payday lenders are also subject to obligations arising from the Consumer Credit Act such as the requirement of good creditors, information about the annual percentage rate, fees designing and credit review. Payday lenders has failed to fulfill its obligations in the Consumer Credit Act which follows from judgements from the market court and several penalties and injunctions from the Consumer Agency. In the analysis it is established that the statitistics from the Swedish Enforcement Authority alone can not be used as the basis for a change, but in combination with the existing legal deficiency, the characteristics of the payday loan and the development of the society it demonstrates that the consumer protection is inadequate and that a change is needed. Further, it is established that rules of system stabilising nature has an indirect effect on consumer protection and can be used to improve it. After striking a balance between the burdens the payday lenders suffer from the change with the increased consumer protection that the change will result in, the change in question is to be seen as proportionate. Payday lender´s business should therefore be subject to license and supervision of the Swedish Financial Service Authority.

STÁRKOVÁ, Zuzana, Development of financial literacy, Prague, 2012. Zuzana Stárková - Charles University in Prague - Husitská teologická fakulta. Supervisor, Prof. PhDr. Beáta Krahulcová, CSc. Main topic of the diploma thesis is financial literacy, more specifically the risk of its consequences. First part of the thesis deals with definition of financial literacy, its causes and consequences. Next chapters are devoted to monetary literacy, ignorance of which causes many problems in the area of credits, loans and subsequently may lead to indebtedness. This part of the text defines important key words, whose knowledge in essential for using of banking services and products Last chapters of the theoretical part introduce the Consumer Protection Act and the issues of seizures and insolvency. Main objective of the practical part of the thesis is to carry out a research among university students in order to summarize the level of their awareness, knowledge and experience in the financial area.

This work deal with a consumer protection in insurance in conditions of the Czech Republic. It specifies an insurance service and reasons leading to necessity of clients of insurance companies protection. The central theme of the work is delimitation of instruments serving to consumer protection in insurance. It treats of legislative acts, Czech National Bank as a supervisory authority in insurance, consumer associations, codes of ethics, financial education of consumers and institute of insurance arbiter or ombudsman, which is not still established in the Czech Republic. A proposal of European Commision to Insurance Guarantee Schemes is mentioned too. The work deal with an insurance terms as well, its transparency for clients of insurance companies and necessity to read it before signing a contract of insurance. In conclusion of the work the most important deficiencies of the particular instruments and the recommendations for improvement of situation are presented.

The subject of this thesis is the consumer protection in the tourist industry in the Czech Republic. The thesis is divided into four parts. The first part deals with the consumer protection in the Czech Republic in general. There is determined the term "consumer" and stated the list of legal enactments related to this issue. The second part is concerned with some duties of tourism service providers from the view of public law. The third and fundamental part of this thesis deals with contract law in tourism. There are examined the most usual contract types in this area, especially package travel contract. In the last part I mention consumer law enforcement in the Czech Republic. This part is aimed at the Alternative Dispute Resolution Project.

Protection of consumers - customers against the insolvency of tour operators - in EU law This thesis examines the legal regulation of consumer protection in the cases of the bankruptcy of travel agencies. In the event of the insolvency of a travel agency, a problem arises as to who will ensure that the consumers are repatriated from summer resorts and their expenses for the unperformed travel services are reimbursed. This issue was first dealt with by Directive No. 90/314 on package travel. The Directive 90/314 will be analyzed in the second chapter of this paper. The Directive leaves a large margin of discretion for national legislators as to how they achieve the required consumer protection standard. However, the EU Member States must ensure that consumers recover the entire loss they have incurred due to the failure of tour operators to provide services. The Member States have come up with a number of implementation solutions - e.g. insurance of the guarantee for the case of insolvency, bank guarantee or guarantee fund of the travel operators. This implementation into national legal systems is described in the third chapter of this thesis. That chapter further introduces the Czech implementation affected in Act No. 159/1999 Coll. This Act has opted for insurance of travel agencies as the means...

La pénalisation est depuis longtemps la réponse privilégiée à la singulière augmentation des tromperies, abus de faiblesse, violences ou encore refus du consentement d'autrui à un contrat. Si son ampleur impressionne, cette pénalisation connaît certains travers. Les incriminations sont mal rédigées et leur construction se révèle rapidement incohérente. Mais par dessus-tout, le droit pénal paraît dans bien des cas dévoyé. Même lorsqu'elle n'est utilisée qu'à titre d'auxiliaire de disciplines ou réglementations externes, la sanction pénale répond à certaines finalités propres, au regard desquelles elle doit apparaître nécessaire et proportionnée. Ce dévoiement doit se résoudre par une certaine dépénalisation des atteintes au consentement contractuel. Pour que celle-ci n'entraîne pas une baisse de la protection des contractants, il convient de rechercher des substituts crédibles à la sanction pénale, par conséquent efficaces et adaptés au contentieux des atteintes au consentement contractuel. Il importe également que ces substituts offrent des mesures originales, sous peine de n'opérer qu'une dépénalisation purement symbolique. Cela doit conduire à écarter les sanctions administratives, au profit de la voie civile. Cette dernière doit toutefois être renforcée pour pallier les insuffisances que le droit civil présente actuellement dans la prévention et la sanction des atteintes au consentement contractuel. / Priority has long been given to criminalisation in response to the important increase in the commission of fraud, fraudulent abuse of vulnerable persons, duress, or other refusals of consent in the contractual field. Whilst the scope of this criminalisation is impressive, it also raises questions. The offences are poorly circumscribed, and their constructions turn out to be incoherent. Above all, criminal law appears in many cases diverted from its proper function. Even when criminal law is used as an auxiliary enforcement to other disciplines or external regulations, the resort to the criminal penalty follows its own ends according to which it should appear necessary and proportionate. This diversion must be resolved through a decriminalisation of refusals of consent in the contractual field. In order to avoid diminishing the protection of contractors, it is necessary to search for credible substitutes to criminal penalties, which are both effective and adapted to litigation involving the infringement of contractual consent. In order to amount to more than purely symbolic decriminalisation, these substitutes should also consist of innovative measures. Administrative sanctions must be discarded in favour of the civil law route. Civil sanctions must however be reinforced in order to overcome the existing limitations and drawbacks faced by civil law in the prevention and sanctioning of refusals of consent in the contractual field.

Face à la progression accélérée du commerce électronique et surtout dans des sociétés qui ont la tendance à tout réglementer, le législateur européen et son homologue français n’ont pas tardé à intervenir pour mettre en place un cadre juridique pour le commerce électronique. L’intervention du législateur français était indispensable pour créer la confiance dans le support électronique. Ces interventions se sont poursuivies et se présentent par l’admission de la valeur probatoire du support électronique, la reconnaissance de l’écrit électronique ad validitatem ce qui permet au cyberconsommateur de conclure un contrat solennel par voie électronique. Notamment, l’acte authentique électronique. L’intervention du législateur se présente également par la reconnaissance de la signature électronique, la réglementation détaillée et précise de la période de la conclusion du contrat (l’obligation d’information, l’offre et l’acceptation), l’attribution aux cyberconsommateurs d’un droit de rétractation récemment renforcé par la loi Hamon et l’application des méthodes de la lutte contre les clauses abusives sur le contrat conclu par voie électronique. En revanche, ces interventions n’ont pas pu dissiper la méfiance dans le support électronique pour plusieurs raisons :D’abord, les sources des dispositions qui réglementent le contrat conclu par voie électronique se multiplient sans qu’il existe une vraie volonté d’articulation les unes avec les autres. Ces dispositions sont éparpillées dans le Code civil, le Code de la consommation et parfois elles ne sont pas codifiées ce qui crée un vrai désordre dans certains aspects juridique comme c’est le cas pour l’obligation d’information. Cette multiplication des sources n’aide pas le législateur à réaliser son objectif. À savoir, créer la confiance dans le support électronique.Ensuite, les dispositions concernant le contrat conclu par voie électronique sont de source communautaire. Et le droit européen ne réussit pas souvent à créer la cohérence, la simplicité et la prévisibilité dans les droits internes en raison de son caractère artificiel et la multiplication des acteurs qui participent à l’élaboration de ces droits. Le droit européen devient parfois un facteur d’inquiétude et d’incertitude.Puis, le cyberconsommateur est surprotégé dans le commerce électronique. Cette surprotection se cristallise par la multiplication de l’obligation du professionnel d’information, les mentions spéciales qui doivent être respectées dans l’offre, l’acceptation en ligne qui s’effectue sous forme assez précise, détaillée et par étapes et enfin le droit de rétractation qui a été largement étendu par la loi Hamon.Enfin, le législateur n’a pas apporté de solutions pour certaines questions dans le contrat conclu par voie électronique comme c’est le cas pour l’identité du contractant et sa capacité et le recours au droit commun du contrat n’est pas efficace parce que les solutions qu’il présent ne sont pas adéquate avec le support électroniqueDe plus, le cybercommerçant peut devenir un élément de déstabilisation du lien contractuel en ligne et donc de méfiance dans le support électronique par les clauses abusives qui peut mettre dans ses conditions générales de vente. / In the face of the rapid growth of e-commerce the European legislator and his French counterpart were proactive to intervene to put an e-commerce legal framework.The intervention of the French legislature was necessary to create confidence in the electronic support.The legislative process in France began by accepting the electronic document as evidence and recognition after that as a condition to be convened.Legislative intervention is also demonstrated by the recognition of electronic signature and the organization of the contractual process on the Internet and recognition to internet consumers their reference right and applying methods of removing unfair conditions in electronic contracts.However, these interventions did not dispel the lack of trust in electronic document for several reasons:First, sources of provisions that regulate the electronic contracts are diverse and scattered in several legislative texts where they exist in civil law, consumer law, and others where sometimes they are not codified and this creates a real mess in some of the legal aspects, as is the case for commitment to informing this diversity of sources does not help the legislature achieve its goal of creating confidence in the electronic media.Secondly, the European law is the source of contract-mail provisions, where it often fails in creating harmony and simplicity due to the diversity of actors involved in the development of these laws so that European law sometimes becomes a factor of anxiety and lack of confidence factors. E-commerce sometimes grants extra protection which crystallized through the creation of commitment to news and be overstated as it must take into account additional information in the offer and acceptance, and also through the recognition of the right of withdrawal, which has spread widely.Finally, the legislator did not provide solutions to certain issues in the electronic contract as is the case for the identity of the contractor and the eligibility to use public law rules and contracts are not effective because the solutions offered that are not often consistent with this kind of contracts