The thesis is focused on the topic of the Financial Arbitrator as an alternative dispute resolution body dealing with the disputes between financial institutions and their clients as well as the proceeding before it. Act No 229/2002 Coll., on financial arbitrator, as a special law adopted based on the requirements of the Directive 97/5/EC on Cross-Border Credit Transfers incorporated into the Czech legal system with effect from 2003 an institution, which is not by its nature and proceeding based on specific rules comparable to any other public authority in Czech republic. The aim of this thesis is to analyse the law identifying a status of the financial arbitrator including the process before it and on the basis of that facts subsequently assess, whether the adopted legislation enables to fulfil the requirements of the directives and if it genuine happens. The content of the thesis is divided into 5 parts, where the first one introduces the institution of the financial arbitrator as for the reasons of its establishing and intended purposes to serve as a stepping stone for further considerations and at the same time seeks to define the status of the institution as it has been given by the legislators. This part is also focused on the building blocks enabling a proper functioning of any institution,...

Mediation in the Czech Republic Abstract This thesis follows mediation as one of the methods of alternative dispute resolutions in the Czech Republic. The adoption of Act No. 202/2012 Coll., on Mediation and Change of Some Laws, which set the conditions for the performance of mediation in noncriminal matters, represents an important milestone in the development of mediation in the territory of the Czech Republic. This thesis is focused on the mediation process; its main aim is to define the phases through which the mediation passes and also the rights and duties of the mediator, their characteristics and their theoretical basis. This thesis is structured into an introduction, four chapters and a conclusion. The first chapter introduces the concepts of mediation and the parties of the conflict, the development of mediation abroad and in the Czech Republic, also defines the types of mediation and the areas of its application, with an emphasis on family mediation. This chapter is also devoted to the relationship between mediation and court proceedings. The end of the opening chapter offers a list of the advantages and the disadvantages of using mediation for settling conflicts, comparing mediation with court proceedings in some aspects and justifying why mediation can be a more attractive alternative for...

The focus of this thesis was around two questions: "Do mediators commonly share a personality typology?" and "Does personality type affect mediators' perceptions of disputants' goals?" The findings of this study have several implications for conflict management and its practitioners. For instance, consideration of one's own personality type can lead to deeper understanding of one's own biases and help develop mediator neutrality. Studies about mediation practitioners can also provide information about this under-represented group for use in career counseling, as well as in public education. This research suggests that 71% of this group of mediators shared preferences in both the intuition and feeling dimensions, and 42% shared the three dimensions of intuition, feeling and perceiving. According to MBTI literature, individuals who favor intuition tend to focus on relationships and look at the big picture and the connection between the facts. Individuals who prefer to use feeling in decision-making tend to be sympathetic, compassionate, and people-focused. Individuals who prefer to use perceiving tend to be spontaneous and enjoy trusting their resourcefulness in adapting to the demands of a situation. This study also investigated potential personality affects on mediators’ perceptions of disputants' conflict goals. Personality dimensions, mediator experience, and scenario outcomes were assessed and a statistically significant relationship was found between the intuition dimension and relational goals in one of the four scenarios. Some significant relationships were also found in another of the four scenarios between mediator experience and preferred scenario outcome. The study group was a small interagency group of workplace mediators called Shared Neutrals, who mediate disputes in Oregon and Washington. The design of the study was different from past studies in its use of contextual conflict scenarios; in the form of an author-developed questionnaire; similar to those used in the medical field to test clinician responses. The study was limited by the restriction of range of the group, by the subjectivity of the author-developed questionnaire, and by the statistical limitations of the MBTI. Some suggestions are made for future studies, including consideration of factors such as type of training, gender, group dynamics and socialization.

The construction industry has been plagued with an increasing number of claims and high litigation costs. How do we reduce conflict and litigation in the construction process? On one hand, leaders of the construction industry in the United States (US) focused their efforts on improving alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. For instance, the American Society of Civil Engineers has introduced the Dispute Review Board (DRB) as a complementary provision to standard US construction practices. The establishment of the DRB to solve construction disputes on the job, avoid claims, and reduce project costs has proven considerable success. On the other hand, construction industry leaders in the United Kingdom (UK) have focused some of their efforts on improving general contract conditions. The Council of the Institution of Civil Engineers of the UK has introduced the New Engineering Contract (NEC) to the construction industry as an alternative to presently used contracts. The NEC proposes to be an innovative, non-adversarial mechanism to resolve disputes on the job, avoid and reduce claims, and to assuage rising litigation costs in the construction industry. It too has proven considerable success in its efforts. This research concentrates on the DRB and the NEC as attempts by construction leaders to modernize and improve construction practices. In summary, the research compares the success stories of the DRB and the NEC as approaches to combating the adversarial nature, increasing number of disputes and rising litigation costs in the construction industry. The main conclusions ascertained in this research are as follows. Despite coming from similar business environments, construction industry leaders in the US and the UK embarked on different methods to address the issues plaguing the industry and to improve construction practices. Both in the US and the UK, construction leaders were mostly influenced to proactively seek and implement change in construction practices by experts from within the engineering and construction industry vanguard. The undertaking of these changes have shown similar success stories and the results have produced substantial impacts on the construction process. In conclusion, the efforts of construction leaders to implement the DRB and the NEC have provided effective mechanisms in improving communication and relations, and managing disputes in a timely fashion at the job site level. / Master of Science

There is a divide between the fields of Conflict Resolution (CR) and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) that impacts on the transfer of knowledge and skills. This is the central hypothesis investigated and confirmed through analysis of the literatures of the two fields, the responses to a questionnaire to practitioners, and autoethnographic interrogation. A generational analysis of authors is combined with the results of a (N=28) questionnaire with practitioners from both fields. This delineates the divide in the theory and literature as well as how those operating in each field identify, conceptualise mediation and what they read. The autoethnography explores the fundamental impact of on conflict role definitions generally and the mediator specifically. It then looks at the impact of crossing the ADR/CR divide on mediation practice, highlighting the necessity for practitioners of a ‘both and’ approach to skills/ knowledge and attitude/qualities. This leads to the consideration of a framework for mediator competence across the ADR/CR divide. The interaction of the mediators’ normative project and the ability of parties to self-determine is explored practically and ethically. This highlights a range of issues with expectations mediation and mediators and foregrounds the impact on the mediator of the mediator role. It ends with a call for further research using innovative methodologies, such as autoethnography, that illuminate mediation as a relational process.

The system of Alternative Dispute Resolution, commonly known as ADR, comprises multiple informal processes. Traditional processes of negotiation, mediation and arbitration are primary processes within the system of ADR. The elements of the primary processes have been combined with one another or with those of public process to form hybrid ADR processes original only to the system of ADR. These hybrid processes are: rent-a-judge, the mini-trial, the summary jury trial, neutral evaluation and mediation/arbitration. Under the auspices of ADR, derivative processes have also been developed, such as expedited arbitration, documents-only arbitration, final-offer arbitration and quality arbitration. Each process is distinct and separate, having its own unique form, function and method of transforming a dispute. Outwardly, this represents a diverse collection of disjunctive processes. Yet an introspective analysis shows that there is an innate centrality that originates in core principles that bind individual processes to each other and to a unified body of theory. These foundational principles of ADR are replicated in each of its processes. In these terms, ADR is therefore conceptualised as a pluralistic system of dispute resolution that consists of autonomous and individual systems of process that conform to a central body of general theory and consensual principles. As a method of extracting the fundamental principles of ADR, the discontinuities and continuities between the theory and principles of civil procedure, as a unitary system .of procedure, and ADR processes are explored. However, in its conclusions, the thesis rejects the premises of a unitary system of procedure as forming the basis for the theory and principles of ADR. Instead, the contrary notion is advanced that ADR is an independent system of dispute resolution which is based on a theory of processual pluralism and supported by cogent processual principles. / Constitutional, International & Indigenous Law / LL.D.

Magistro baigiamasis darbas skirtas ginčų, kylančių tarp vartotojų ir verslininkų, alternatyvaus sprendimo analizei. Darbo pradžioje nagrinėjama problemos, susijusios su alternatyvaus ginčų sprendimo (toliau - AGS) samprata, atskleidžiami AGS privalumai ir trūkumai, jo reikšmė vartotojų teisių gynimo sistemoje. Antroje darbo dalyje apžvelgiama atskirų AGS procedūrų įvairovė, jų ypatumai bei taikymo sąlygos, taip pat pateikiama šių procedūrų visumos (tame tarpe - jų klasifikacijų) analizė. Galiausiai yra gvildenamos neteisminiam vartotojų teisių gynimui esminės įtakos turėjusios Europos Sąjungos (toliau - ES) iniciatyvos, ES valstybių narių praktika, ir, įvertinus Lietuvoje vyraujančias tendencijas, jos institucinę ir įstatyminę bazę, atskleidžiamos problemos, su kuriomis susiduria mūsų valstybės vartotojai. Darbas aktualus ir naudingas tiek teoriniame, tiek praktiniame lygmenyje: kadangi AGS vartotojų teisių srityje Lietuvoje pakankamai naujas, tradicijų kol kas dar neturintis reiškinys, tyrimo rezultatai galės būti panaudoti ne tik gerosios praktikos kūrimui, veiksmingos teisinės duomenų bazės formavimui, bet ir problemų, su kuriomis susiduria AGS procedūras taikančios struktūros, sprendimui. Remiantis šiuo darbu, bus galima toliau tęsti ginčų, kylančių iš vartojimo sutarčių, alternatyvaus sprendimo analizę, jo teigiamų ir neigiamų savybių tyrimą. Atnaujinus statistinius duomenis, papildžius praktinių pavyzdžių sąrašą, priėmus naujus teisės aktus, jau galiojančius - pakeitus... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Master thesis is attributed to the analysis of alternative dispute resolution between consumers and businessmen. At the beginning of the thesis problems related to the alternative dispute resolution (hereinfather reffered to as the ADR) concept are researched, later on, advantages and disadvantages of ADR, its importance to consumer rights protection system are described. The second part of the thesis discusses the diversity of particular ADR procedures, their features and application possibilities, as well as provides the analysis of whole these procedures (including their classification). Finally, it provides European Union (hereinfather reffered to as the EU) initiatives substantially influenced the extrajudicial consumer rights protection, EU Member States‘ practice and challenges facing our state‘s consumers in accordance with the assessment of the prevailing trends in Lithuania, its institutional and legal framework. The thesis is relevant and useful at theoretical as well as at practical level, because ADR of consumer rights is new phenomenon with no traditions in Lithuania yet. Therefore, results of the research could be used not only in order to create good practice and to form effective juridical database, but also in order to deal with problems facing the structures that apply the ADR procedures. Based on this study, further improvements will be possible of the analysis of alternative resolution of disputes arising from consumers’ agreements, research of positive... [to full text]

The system of Alternative Dispute Resolution, commonly known as ADR, comprises multiple informal processes. Traditional processes of negotiation, mediation and arbitration are primary processes within the system of ADR. The elements of the primary processes have been combined with one another or with those of public process to form hybrid ADR processes original only to the system of ADR. These hybrid processes are: rent-a-judge, the mini-trial, the summary jury trial, neutral evaluation and mediation/arbitration. Under the auspices of ADR, derivative processes have also been developed, such as expedited arbitration, documents-only arbitration, final-offer arbitration and quality arbitration. Each process is distinct and separate, having its own unique form, function and method of transforming a dispute. Outwardly, this represents a diverse collection of disjunctive processes. Yet an introspective analysis shows that there is an innate centrality that originates in core principles that bind individual processes to each other and to a unified body of theory. These foundational principles of ADR are replicated in each of its processes. In these terms, ADR is therefore conceptualised as a pluralistic system of dispute resolution that consists of autonomous and individual systems of process that conform to a central body of general theory and consensual principles. As a method of extracting the fundamental principles of ADR, the discontinuities and continuities between the theory and principles of civil procedure, as a unitary system .of procedure, and ADR processes are explored. However, in its conclusions, the thesis rejects the premises of a unitary system of procedure as forming the basis for the theory and principles of ADR. Instead, the contrary notion is advanced that ADR is an independent system of dispute resolution which is based on a theory of processual pluralism and supported by cogent processual principles. / Constitutional, International and Indigenous Law / LL.D.

"Mémoire présenté à la faculté des études supérieures en vue de l'obtention du grade de maîtrise en droit (LL.M.)" / Le réseau Internet favorise les transactions transfrontalières, même entre des personnes vivant à des distances éloignées les unes des autres. La perméabilité des frontières lors de l'utilisation d'Internet rend difficile l'application des règles traditionnelles du droit international privé, fondées sur le paradigme territorial. Le présent mémoire a pour but d'analyser cette problématique. En premier lieu, nous explorons dans ce contexte les caractéristiques d'Internet et les sources pertinentes du droit international privé. À travers le prisme du cyberespace, nous procédons ensuite à un examen des critères juridictionnels retenus par la doctrine et la jurisprudence. Dans cette optique, nous accordons une attention particulière au domaine de la cyberconsommation, lequel est particulièrement vulnérable à l'absence de référence territoriale. En effet, le paternalisme étatique destiné à protéger les consommateurs peut difficilement s'y exercer. Dès lors, il devient évident que la communauté internationale, confrontée à cette nouvelle réalité, sera appelée à se tourner vers des modes alternatifs de résolution de conflits et que les États participeront à cette fin à une corégulation avec le secteur privé. / The Internet facilitates transborder transactions, even among people living far away from one another. The permeability of borders arising from the use of the Internet makes it very difficult to apply traditional rules under private internationallaw, which are based on a territorial paradigm. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse this problem. First, we explore the characteristics of the Internet in this particular context and the relevant sources of private international law. Through the prism of cyberspace, we then review jurisdictional criteria arising from the doctrine and jurisprudence. Special attention is paid to the field of cyberconsumers, which is particularly vulnerable to the absence of territorial references. Indeed, state paternalism designed to protect consumers is difficult to apply in this field. Confronted with this new reality, the international community will increasingly turn to alternative methods of dispute resolution, while States join forces with the private sector to develop co-regulations.

Climate change creates an imperative to develop renewable energy infrastructure, and the state of Vermont has committed to developing new renewables. However, renewables pose significant threats to natural systems because of the dramatic changes to ecosystems that occur with development. Public outcry over new developments and dissatisfaction with the current process used for siting indicate that the old regulatory process may be outdated. This thesis seeks to bridge the divide between ecology and law in renewable energy infrastructure siting. Using the state of Vermont as a case study, it suggests a new, proactive energy planning process that would use spatial analysis and public involvement to bring experts and citizens together to evaluate difficult tradeoffs and make hard choices about where to site renewables. In this thesis I use content analysis to determine which issues are important to stakeholders involved in the debate about energy siting. I then develop spatial analysis of Chittenden County to examine four metrics important to siting: generating potential, carbon storage, viewshed, and biodiversity. This spatial analysis could be applied by policy makers to evaluate tradeoffs among these four metrics. Finally, I propose a new regulatory siting process that would use stakeholder engagement and proactive planning to create "Renewable Energy Zones" where development could be fast-tracked while safeguards are in place to protect important natural resources and the public interest. A better understanding of public concern, landscape-scale spatial modeling of ecosystem services, and a new proactive energy planning process could pave the way for a more effective siting process that allows for rapid development of renewables to combat climate change and includes local voices.