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Guest researchers from Estonia, China, Italy, Portugal and the UK in Spring 2013

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:10:11 GMT

A number of guest researchers visited the Institute during Spring 2013.
From the University of Tartu (Estonia), Dr Janno Lahe, Docent of Civil Law, and Leonid Tolstov, a doctoral candidate and law-firm partner, arrived on 18 March, giving a presentation on fault in Estonian tort law to commence their research stays of respectively ten days and three weeks.
Professors Xie Hongfei and Yu Min from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (China) stayed as guests of the Centre from 30 March for approximately three weeks. Preceding her attendance at the Annual Conference on European Tort Law, Maria Inês de Oliveira Martins, Assistente at the Faculty of Law, University of Coimbra (Portugal) visited the Centre to pursue research in the first week of April.
The Institute also acted as host to Prof Jenny Steele of the University of York (UK) from 11-19 April, in the course of which Prof Steele gave a presentation on her research relating to the tort-crime boundary in the context of road traffic accidents.
Lastly, Francesca Lotta, a Ph.D. student from the Catholic University of Piacenza (Italy), commenced a two-month stay at the Institute in the middle of April, pursuing comparative legal research on the liability of certification agencies.

Conference on Long Term Contracts - Private and Public Law Perspectives

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:47:06 GMT

An inaugural conference will be held on Thursday 6 June by the University of Copenhagen Centre for Enterprise Liability in connection with its newly founded research unit on private-public enterprise liability. The topic is Long Term Contracts - Private and Public Law Perspectives. The conference has been organised by the Director of the Centre, our friend and colleague Vibe Ulfbeck. For further details, see http://jura.ku.dk/virksomhedsansvar/english/calendar/long-term-contracts/.

European Group on Tort Law Meeting

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:31:55 GMT

The European Group on Tort Law (EGTL) convened on 7–8 April 2013 to continue its deliberations on the ongoing topic of Public Authority Liability. It also commenced its third project since reunification, The Borderlines of Tort Law, led by Prof Dr Miquel Martin-Casals.

This was followed by a Conference on 9 April 2013, Public Authority Liability in Comparative Perspective. Both Meeting and Conference, which took place in Graz, were made possible by the generous auspices of das Land Steiermark. The Group would like to express its gratitude towards it and the Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz University which secured the funding. In particular, praise is due to o Univ-Prof Dr iur Monika Hinteregger and her very capable staff for the warm hospitality extended to the Group and its Guests.

Insurance and the Tort-Crime Boundary on the Roads: UK Developments

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:14:41 GMT

This lecture will take place at the European Centre for Tort and Insurance Law by Jenny Steele on Tuesday, 16. April 10 am.
The paper reflects work in progress with Professor Rob Merkin (University of Exeter).
Abstract: In what ways do insurance, and insurance law, help to shape the relationship between tort and crime? This paper considers such questions with a particular focus on road traffic liability and liability insurance in the UK. In particular, the paper explores the role of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), first established in 1946 and operating through agreements with the UK government to provide compensation for those injured by the torts of uninsured and untraced drivers. Inherently the MIB deals with the tort-crime boundary, and seeks to reduce uninsured driving as part of its mission. The paper compares compensatory responses in both civil and criminal proceedings, and contemplates the continuing role of personal responsibility in the context of the compulsory insurance regime, with particular reference to the role of the MIB and recent developments in the courts.

Conference on Long Term Contracts - Private and Public Law Perspectives, 6 June 2013, Copenhagen, Denmark

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:59:02 GMT

An inaugural conference will be held on Thursday 6 June 2013 by the University of Copenhagen Centre for Enterprise Liability in connection with its newly founded research unit on private-public enterprise liability. The topic is Long Term Contracts - Private and Public Law Perspectives. The conference has been organised by the Director of the Centre, our friend and colleague Vibe Ulfbeck.

For further details, see http://jura.ku.dk/virksomhedsansvar/english/calendar/long-term-contracts/

Upcoming Juristenrunde: Insurance and the Tort-Crime Boundary on the Roads: UK Developments

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:23:19 GMT

The Institute would like to announce a lecture on ‘Insurance and the Tort-Crime Boundary on the Roads: UK Developments’ by Jenny Steele, Professor of Law from the York Law School (UK) on Tuesday, April 16, 2013, 10:00 am.

In what ways do insurance, and insurance law, help to shape the relationship between tort and crime? This lecture considers such questions with a particular focus on road traffic liability and liability insurance in the UK. In particular, the lecture will explore the role of the Motor Insurers’ Bureau (MIB), first established in 1946 and operating through agreements with the UK government to provide compensation for those injured by the torts of uninsured and untraced drivers. Inherently the MIB deals with the tort-crime boundary, and seeks to reduce uninsured driving as part of its mission. The lecture will compare compensatory responses in both civil and criminal proceedings, and contemplates the continuing role of personal responsibility in the context of the compulsory insurance regime, with particular reference to the role of the MIB and recent developments in the courts.

All are welcome to attend.

The 12th Annual Conference on European Tort Law – a Success!

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:20:33 GMT

From April 4, to April 6, 2013 the 12th Annual Conference on European Tort Law took place in Vienna. Once again the conference provided a forum for both academics and practitioners to learn about and discuss the most recent developments in Tort Law during 2012. Lectures were provided by Country reporters from 27 jurisdictions as well as by international experts in the field of Tort Law and the Financial Crisis.

Full reports on tort law developments in each of the jurisdictions covered will be published in the Yearbook European Tort Law 2012 in autumn 2013. The papers from the conference session on Tort Law and Financial Crisis will appear in a special issue of the Journal of European Tort Law in summer 2013.

Photographs of the conference, and all the conference materials, can be seen by accessed on the conference website www.acet.ectil.org.

The 13th Annual Conference on European Tort Law will take place from April 24 to April 26, 2014.

Conference: Public Authority Liability in Comparative Perspective, 9 April 2013, Graz, Austria

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 14:47:28 GMT

The conference Public Authority Liability in Comparative Perspective on 9 April 2013 in Graz, Austria will feature the work of the European Group on Tort Law in seeking to prepare a common European set of Principles of Public Authority Liability. The project will be explained against a backdrop of the contrasting approaches currently adopted in EU law and selected national legal systems (France, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Africa and Switzerland). Similarities and differences of approach will be illuminated through the discussion of hypothetical case studies. Further conference contributions will offer an economic analysis of the competing legal regimes and an outside perspective on the European Group's endeavours. Throughout the conference, there will be plenty of opportunity for attendees to engage in discussion with the speakers.

The programme for the conference can be found here.

Publications by Members of the Institute in 2012

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 20:21:54 GMT

Mangelfolgeschäden in Veräußerungsketten. Am Beispiel der Aus- und Einbaukosten. Wien: Jan Sramek Verlag (96 pages). (Together with Helmut Koziol).
Review of Elke Heinrich, Haftung bei alternativer Kausalität mit Zufall (2010), Juristische Blätter (JBl) 2012. Approx pp 3.
Entscheidungsanmerkung zu OGH 21.6.2011, 1 Ob 63/11p. Österreichische Juristen Zeitung (ÖJZ) 2012, pp 312–313.
Entscheidungsanmerkung zu OGH 21.6.2011, 1 Ob 46/11p. Österreichische Juristen Zeitung (ÖJZ) 2012, p 367.
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation in Austria. In: Oliphant, Ken; Wagner, Gerhard (eds), Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, pp 1–48. (Together with Felix Kernbichler).
Liability for Loss of Housekeeping Capacity in Austria. In: Karner, Ernst; Oliphant, Ken (eds), Loss of Houskeeping Capacity, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, pp 1–27. (Together with Nora Wallner-Friedl).
Loss of Housekeeping Capacity in Comparative Perspective. In: Karner, Ernst; Oliphant, Ken (eds), Loss of Housekeeping Capacity. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, pp 275–319 (Together with Ken Oliphant).
Die Haftung des Staates für administratives, judikatives und legislatives Unrecht aus rechtsvergleichender Perspektive. In: Tagungsband XX. Karlsbader Juristentag 2012, pp 93 – 113.
Loss of Housekeeping Capacity. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter (339 pages). (Editor ,together with Ken Oliphant)
Za jake činnosti je stat odpovědny? Odpovědnost statu za legislativni ujmu z rakous-keho pohledu – Für welche Tätigkeiten haftet der Staat? Staatshaftung für legislatives Unrecht aus österreichischer Sicht, in: Luboš Tichý/Jiří Hrádek (eds), Odpovědnost statu za legislativni ujmu – Staatshaftung für legislatives Unrecht, (2012), 139 – 146 and 147 – 154.
Der Haushaltschaden im europäischen Vergleich, in: Weber (ed), HAVE Personen-Schadenforum 2012, 165 – 186.
Der Ersatz von Mangelfolgeschäden in Veräußerungsketten von Unternehmern, [with H Koziol], JBl 2012, 141 – 157.
Schutz vor Naturgefahren und Haftung. Wien: Jan Sramek Verlag, erscheint 2013; 150 pages.
§§ 957 – 969 ABGB (Verwahrung), §§ 970 – 970c ABGB (Gastwirtehaftung), §§ 971 – 982 ABGB (Leihe), in Kletečka/Schauer (Hrsg), ABGB-Online Kommentar. Version 1.1 (2012). 40 Seiten.
Immaterial Damage in Austrian Contract Law, in: Palmer (ed), Immaterial Damage in European Contract Law. Gemeinsam mit B. C. Steininger.
Ustalanie zadośćuczynienia za szkodę na osobie w wybranych zagranicznych sytemach prawa (Quantification of Moral Damages in Personal Injury Cases in Selected Foreign Jurisdictions), in: Tagungsband Warschau (erscheint 2012) 63 – 73.
Gesetzgebungstechnik und Schadenersatzreform, in Jarolim (Hrsg), Reform des Schadenersatzrechts. Dialog im Parlament, Band 4 (2012) 9 – 17.
Entscheidungsanmerkung zu OGH 3. 6. 2012, 2 Ob 136/11 f, ZVR 2012/204.
Diskussionsbeitrag, Parlamentarische Enquete, in: Jarolim (Hrsg) Reform des Schadenersatzrechts (2012) 47 – 48, 59 – 61.

Koziol, Helmut

Mangelfolgeschäden in Veräußerungsketten. Am Beispiel der Aus- und Einbaukosten, Wien: Jan Sramek Verlag (96 pages). (Together with Ernst Karner).
Entscheidungsbesprechung (Unwirksamkeit einer Zugangsfiktions-Klausel in einem Verbrauchervertrag), Österreichisches Bank Archiv (ÖBA) 2012, pp 250–252.
Gedanken zur österreichischen Schadenersatzreform. In: Bundesministerium für Justiz (ed), 200 Jahre ABGB, Richterwoche 2011 in Lochau, Wien/Graz: NWV, pp 307–333.
Glanz und Eleden der deutschen Zivilrechtsdogmatik – Das deutsche Zivilrecht als Vorbild für Europa? Archiv für die civilistische Praxis 2012, pp 1–62.
Abwehransprüche bei naturgegebenen Immissionen?, in: FS Iro (2013) 17 – 33.
Glanz und Elend der deutschen Zivilrechtsdogmatik. – Das deutsche Zivilrecht als Vorbild für Europa? AcP 212 (2012) 1 – 62.
Gemeinsam mit Gabriele Koziol, Ansprüche des geschädigten Retters bei Selbstgefährdung eines Bergsteigers – Lösungsansätze im österreichischen, deutschen und japanischen Recht, RabelsZ 2012, 540 – 561.
Providerhaftung nach ECG und MedienG, in: Berka/Grabenwarter/Holoubek (Hrsg), Persönlichkeitsschutz in elektronischen Massenmedien (Wien 2012) 41 – 55.
Staatshaftung für Nichtbeachtung von EU-Recht. Einige kritische Punkte, in: L. Tichý/J. Hrádek (Hrsg), Staatshaftung für legislatives Unrecht (Prag 2012) 135 – 144 (tschechisch), 145 – 156 (deutsch).
Schadenersatz im Europäischen Privatrecht, in: O. Remien (Hrsg), Schadensersatz im europäischen Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht (Tübingen 2012) 5 – 25.
Basic Questions of Tort Law from a Germanic Perspective. Jan Sramek Verlag, Wien 2012. 403 Seiten.
Gemeinsam mit Ernst Karner: Der Ersatz von Mangelfolgeschäden in Veräußerungsketten von Unternehmern, JBl 2012, 141 – 157.
Entscheidungsbesprechung (Unwirksamkeit einer Zugangsfiktions-Klausel in einem Verbrauchervertrag), ÖBA 2012, 250 – 252.

McGrath, Colm Peter

Mass Media, Personality Rights and European Conflict of Laws. SSRN: . (Zusammen mit Thomas Thiede )

Oliphant, Ken

Loss of Housekeeping Capacity. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter (339 pages). (Editor, together with Ernst Karner)
Symposium on Medical Malpractice and Compensation in Global Perspective (with Richard W Wright), Part II, special symposium issue of the Chicago-Kent Law Review (vol 87 no 1, pp 1–198 (excluding other contributions)).
‘Yangge Dance: the Rhythm of Liability for Medical Malpractice in the People’s Republic of China’ [with Zhu Wang], (2012) 87 Chicago-Kent Law Review 21–52.
European Tort Law 2011, European Tort Law Yearbook (Editor, together with Barbara C Steininger), Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012 (xi + 789). ISSN 2190-7773.
Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation, Tort and Insurance Law, Vol 31 (Editor, together with Gerhard Wagner), Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012 (xxxix + 619 pages). ISBN 978-3-11-027021-1.
Cultures of European Tort Law, special issue of the Journal of European Tort Law (vol 3 no 2, pp 147–280), Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012. ISSN 1868-9612.
‘Cultures of Tort Law in Europe’ (2012) 3 Journal of European Tort Law 147-158. ISSN 1868-9612.
‘Harmonising Private Law in the European Union: Past, Present and Future’, ANU Centre for European Studies Briefing Paper Series, vol 3 no 5 (July 2012), 1-11. ISSN 1838-0379.
‘Introduction: European Tort Law 2011’, in Ken Oliphant and Barbara C Steininger (eds), European Tort Law 2011, pp 1-36, Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012. ISSN 2190-7773.
‘England and Wales’ (with Annette Morris), in Ken Oliphant and Barbara C Steininger (eds), European Tort Law 2011, pp 162-189, Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012. ISSN 2190-7773.
‘Introduction’ (with Gerhard Wagner), in Ken Oliphant and Gerhard Wagner (eds), Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation, Tort and Insurance Law, Vol 31, pp xxix–xxxix. Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012. ISBN 978-3-11-027021-1.
‘The Changing Landscape of Work Injury Claims: Challenges for Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation’, in Ken Oliphant and Gerhard Wagner (eds), Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation, Tort and Insurance Law, Vol 31, pp 519–559, Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012. ISBN 978-3-11-027021-1.
‘Uncertain Causes: the Chinese Tort Liability Act in Comparative Perspective’, in Chen Lei and Remco van Rhee (eds), Towards a Chinese Civil Code: Historical and Comparative Perspectives, 395–408. Leiden: Brill, 2012. ISBN 978-90-04-20487-4.
‘Liability for Loss of Housekeeping Capacity in Comparative Perspective’ (with Ernst Karner), in Ernst Karner and Ken Oliphant (eds), Loss of Housekeeping Capacity, Tort and Insurance Law, Vol 28, pp 275-319, Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012. ISBN 978-3-89949-814-1.
« Pluralité de responsables en droit anglo-saxon », in Groupe de recherche en responabilité civile et l’assurance (GRERCA), Le doit français de la responsabilité civile confronté aux projets européens d’harmonisation, pp. 441-452, Paris : IRJS Editions, 2012. ISBN 9782919211081

Ondreasova, Eva

Schadensberechnung bei Liegenschaften im Lichte der aktuellen OGH Rechtsprechung: Parallele zu Anlegerschäden oder zu Kfz Schäden? In: ZAK = Zivilrecht Aktuell, pp 103-106.
Detektivkosten: Schadenersatz im Fall des Ehebruchs auch gegen den Dritten ? Aus Anlass von 3 Ob 232/11f. In: ZAK = Zivilrecht Aktuell, pp 143-146.

Steininger, Barbara C

Case note on OGH 4 Ob 8/11x: Introduction, in: ERPL - European Review of Private Law, Nijmegen, Kluwer 2012, 571–572.
Case note on OGH 4 Ob 8/11x: Austrian Perspective on OGH 4 Ob 8/11x, in: ERPL - European Review of Private Law, Nijmegen, Kluwer 2012, 573–580.
Case note on OGH 4 Ob 8/11x: Concluding Remarks, in: ERPL - European Review of Private Law, Nijmegen, Kluwer 2012, 639–642.
European Tort Law 2011, European Tort Law Yearbook (Editor, together with K Oliphant), Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012 (xi + 789). ISSN 2190-7773.
‘Austria’, in Ken Oliphant and Barbara C Steininger (eds), European Tort Law 2011, pp 37-63, Berlin: de Gruyter, 2012. ISSN 2190-7773.

Thiede, Thomas

The European Coordination of Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability. In: Oliphant, Ken; Wagner, Gerhard (eds), Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, pp 485–517.
Aktivgerichtsstand für Betroffene von Persönlichkeitsrechtsverletzungen im Onlinebereich. ecolex – Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht 2012, pp 131–134.
Mass Media, Personality Rights and European Conflict of Laws. SSRN: . (Together with Colm Peter McGrath).
German Law Perspective on OGH 4 OB 8/11Z, in: ERPL - European Review of Private Law, Nijmegen, Kluwer 2012, 591-59.
Punitive Damages in France – A new Deal? [with V. Wester-Ouisse]; JETL - Journal of European Tort Law 1/2012, Berlin/Boston, deGruyter 2012, 115-123.
Internationale Mehrfach- und Sicherungszessionen nach der Rom I-Verordnung. In: ÖBA - Österreichisches Bank-Archiv 10/2012, pp 645-654.
Persönlichkeitsrechtsschutz 2.0 - Internationale Zuständigkeit und Anwendbares Recht. In: Walter Berka; Christoph Grabenwarter; Michael Holoubek (eds), Persönlichkeitsschutz in elektronischen Massenmedien - Siebentes Rundfunkforum, Wien: Manz, pp 91-116.
Bier, Shevill und eDate - Aegrescit medendo? In: GPR - Zeitschrift für Gemeinschaftsprivatrecht 4/2012, pp 219-222.

Wilcox, Vanessa

Vindicatory Damages: The Farewell?; JETL - Journal of European Tort Law 3/2012, Berlin/Boston, deGruyter 2012, 390-409.
Punitive Damages in the Armoury of Human Rights' Arbiters. In: Lotte Neurkens; Emily Nordins (eds) The Power of Punitive Damages - Is Europe Missing out? Intersentia Belgium, pp 499-518.

Upcoming European Group on Tort Law Meeting

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 16:05:30 GMT

The European Group on Tort Law (EGTL) will convene on 7–8 April 2013 to continue its deliberations on the ongoing topic of Public Authority Liability. This will be followed by a public Conference on 9 April 2013, Public Authority Liability in Comparative Perspective. A programme will be uploaded soon. For registration and enquiries, please contact Lisa Zeiler. Both Meeting and Conference are made possible by the generous auspices of the Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz and will take place there.

New cooperation between the Institute and the Karl Franzens University of Graz

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 19:58:07 GMT

The Institute is pleased to announced that it will be supported for the next three years (from 1 January 2013) through a new cooperation between the Austrian Academy of Science and the Karl Franzens University of Graz. Under the cooperation, Institute staff will offer lectures and seminars at the University and participate in the development of a specialist doctoral programme in European Private Law. They will also have the opportunity to pursue their own further qualifications and career development within the University.

Institute Director, Ken Oliphant, comments: 'This exciting development secures the Institute's financial stability at a time when other research institutions are facing considerable economic difficulties, and provides the necessary foundations for the successful completion of its current work programme. Having a foot in the university sector opens up new possibilities both for the Institute and for its staff, and we look forward to a rewarding collaboration with the Graz faculty, which is already renowned nationally and internationally for its excellence in the area of civil law.'

Monika Hinteregger, Director of the Institute for Civil Law in the University, adds: 'The Institute’s broad international ties and research competences in the field of tort law will further strengthen the international orientation of the Graz faculty. I am confident that this cooperation will enable the Graz faculty to build a centre of excellence in the field of European and comparative private law, in both research and teaching.''

The cooperation builds on the recently signed cooperation between the European Centre of Tort and Insurance Law and KFU Graz.

The Institute remains based at its existing premises in Vienna.

New Publication: European Tort Law Yearbook 2011

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:29:46 GMT

European Tort Law 2011 (ed by Ken Oliphant and Barbara C Steininger) provides information and analysis about tort law developments in Europe in 2011. It includes reports from most EU Member States, plus Norway and Switzerland, and an overview of developments in the field of EU law. Selected highlights are picked out and evaluated from a comparative perspective in the book's introduction. A bonus feature this year is a 10-year conspectus of developments in Israeli tort law, whose timing is especially propitious because 2011 saw the first reading in the Knesset of a proposed Israeli Civil Code.

K Oliphant/BC Steininger (eds), European Tort Law 2011 (2012), ISSN 2190 7773.

Journal of European Tort Law: contents of vol 3 no 3

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 14:54:53 GMT

Articles:

Michael D Green and Olivier Moréteau ‘Restating Tort Law: The American and European Styles’ (2012) 3 JETL 281

Matthew Dyson ‘Civil Law Responses to Criminal Judgments in England and Spain’ (2012) 3 JETL 308

Robert J Dijkstra ‘Liability of Financial Supervisory Authorities in the European Union’ (2012) 3 JETL 346

Bernd J Hartmann ‘Perspectives on the Economic Analysis of Public Liability Law’ (2012) 3 JETL 378

Case Commentary:

Vanessa Wilcox ‘Vindicatory Damages: The Farewell?’ (2012) 3 JETL 390

Book Reviews:

Jens M Scherpe ’Christoph Oertel, Objektive Haftung in Europa. Rechtsvergleichende Untersuchung zur Weiterentwicklung der verschuldensunabhängigen Haftung im europäischen Privatrecht’ (2012) 3 JETL 410

Florian Wagner von-Papp ’Helmut Koziol/Josef Seethaler/Thomas Thiede (eds), Medienpolitik und Recht: Media Governance, Wahrhaftigkeitspflicht und sachgerechte Haftung’ (2012) 3 JETL 413

For online access/subscription details, click here.

Visit from a delegation of Chinese judges

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:09:31 GMT

The Institute was pleased to receive a visity from a delegation of Chinese judges on Friday 21 December 2012. The judges are all enrolled on a specialist LLM programme for the Chinese judiciary run by the School of Law of the City University of Hong Kong. The following judges attended: HE Li (Kunming intermediate court); JIANG Qiang (Beijing Haidian court); WANG Jing (Guangdong high court); and WANG Hao (Hainan High Court). They were accompanied by two members of City University faculty, CHEN Lei and Rajesh SHARMA. The Institute was represented by Ken Oliphant and Ernst Karner, while Laura Ascher - whose doctoral work was on Chinese tort law - represented ECTIL.

Ken Oliphant, Ernst Karner and Laura Ascher with the Chinese judges and academics

Annual Conference on European Tort Law 2013 – 4 April to 6 April 2013, Vienna

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 12:50:40 GMT

The Conference provides practitioners and academics with the opportunity to learn about the most significant tort law developments in Europe in 2012. It begins on the evening of Thursday 4 April in the splendid surroundings of the Palais Trautson (Austrian Ministry of Justice), where Irmgard Griss (former President of the Austrian Supreme Court) will deliver the opening lecture on the topic of 'How Judges Think: Judicial Reasoning in Tort Law Cases from a Comparative Perspective'.

On Friday 5 April, the venue switches to the Austrian Supreme Court, and the day is given over to reports on developments in Europe's national legal systems and under EU law. In the evening, the Conference dinner is at one of Vienna's famous wine taverns ('Heurigen') on the edge of the Vienna Woods. The Conference concludes on Saturday morning (April 6, 2013) with a special session on Tort Law and the Financial Crisis.

[Read More]

Visiting Scholar at the Institute for European Tort Law

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 11:01:39 GMT

Since September 2012, Professor Shi Changqing from Yantai University, China, has been carrying out her comparative research at the ETL in Vienna as part of the ongoing cooperation between the Institute and Yantai University. This cooperation will also involve a conference in Heilongjiang, China, in September 2013. Professor Shi’s research interests focus on Continental civil procedure, especially the costs and fees of civil proceedings as well as on the efficiency of litigation and scientific evidence.

New Publication: Employers' Liability and Workers' Compensation

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 10:10:44 GMT

This large-scale comparative study analyses the two principal mechanisms employed in modern legal systems to deal with the social problem of occupational illness and injury, namely, employers' liability and workers' compensation. It provides a detailed description of the systems in operation in twelve countries around the world, investigating the complex legal structures and the interaction with other social institutions, as well as their inter-jurisdictional coordination through private international law. Current international trends are identified and assessed and the fundamental political issues highlighted and explored. The study's ultimate goals are not only descriptive but also to answer the question of how compensation and liability systems can best be adapted to meet society's needs in the 21st century.

The countries covered are: Australia (M Lunney), Austria (E Karner/F Kernbichler), Denmark (V Ulfbeck), England and Wales (R Lewis), France (F G'Sell/I Veillard), Germany (R Waltermann), Italy (A P Scarso/M Foglia), Japan (K Yamamoto/T Yoshimasa), the Netherlands (S D Lindenbergh), Poland (D Dörre-Nowak), Romania (C Alunaru/L Bojin) and the United States of America (M D Green/D S Murdock).

The book is completed by three concluding essays that address general themes: Thomas Thiede, The European Coordination of Employers' Liability and Workers' Compensation; Ken Oliphant, The Changing Landscape of Work Injury Claims: Challenges for Employers' Liability and Workers' Compensation; Gerhard Wagner, New Perspectives on Employers' Liability - Basic Policy Issues.

K Oliphant/G Wagner (eds), Employers' Liability and Workers' Compensation (2012), ISBN 978-3-11-026996-3.

Upcoming Juristenrunde: Tortfeasor’s Fault in Estonian and European Tort Law

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:47:22 GMT

The Institute would like to announce a lecture on ‘Tortfeasor’s Fault in Estonian and European Tort Law’ by Janne Laho, Professor of Law from the University of Tartu (Estonia) on Monday, March 18, 2013, 10:00 am.

The fault of the tortfeasor is one of the preconditions for general tort liability. There are many interesting questions relating to tortfeasor’s fault: the importance of fault-based liability in contemporary tort law, the capacity to commit fault, the meaning of fault, the burden of proving fault, etc.
Estonian tort law has two uncommon aspects concerning tortfeasor’s fault: first, by assessing an individual’s fault, a subjective standard of care must be taken into account; and second, the rule according to which the fault of the tortfeasor is presumed. The presentation gives an answer on how the principle of fault functions in Estonian legal practice.

All are welcome to attend.

The European Group on Tort Law Autumn Meeting 2012 and the Conference on the Controversial Notions of Damage in Europe

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 10:36:10 GMT

This year, the European Group on Tort Law (EGTL) autumn meeting was hosted by the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law. The Group convened on 4–5 October 2012 to continue its deliberations on the ongoing topic of Public Authority Liability.
The meeting was combined with a conference, the ‘Controversial Notions of Damage in Europe’ (5–6 October 2012). Several members of the Group participated in the conference proceedings which spanned topics such as punitive damages, loss of chance and loss of enjoyment and frustration. The EGTL would like to formally express its gratitude to the Swiss Institute and the University of Geneva for their support.

New Special Issues of JETL (Cultures of Tort in Europe)

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 11:55:22 GMT

A new special issue of the Journal of European Tort Law focuses on the Cultures of Tort Law in Europe. The issue was edited by Ken Oliphant, whose short introduction is available for free download by clicking here.

Amongst the questions readers will find addressed are:

What does 'tort law culture' actually mean, and what's to be gained from comparison of the cultures of tort in different places?
Why doesn't the French tort system simply collapse under the weight of the burdens stemming from its proudly victim-oriented approach?
How has German tort law been shaped by the six very different Germanies that have existed in the last 100 years (Empire, the Wiemar Republic, the Third Reich, the separate East and West Germanies of the post-war years, and the modern Federal Republic)?
How have concerns about 'compensation culture' shaped political debate and popular conceptions of tort law in the UK?
And finally: what music should you listen to when considering the intellectual history of Scandinavian tort law in the last century?

A year's online subscription costs only € 49.00 or US$ 74.

JETL 2012/2: FULL LIST OF CONTENTS

SPECIAL ISSUE: CULTURES OF TORT LAW IN EUROPE

Edited by Ken Oliphant

Articles:

Ken Oliphant ‘Cultures of Tort Law in Europe’ (2012) 3 JETL 147

Jean-Sébastien Borghetti ‘The Culture of Tort Law in France’ (2012) 3 JETL 158

Jörg Fedtke ‘The Culture of German Tort Law’ (2012) 3 JETL 183

Håkan Andersson ‘The Tort Law Culture(s) of Scandinavia’ (2012) 3 JETL 210

Richard Lewis and Annette Morris ‘Tort Law Culture in the United Kingdom: Image and Reality in Personal Injury Compensation’ (2012) 3 JETL 230

Book Reviews:

Vibe Ulfbeck/John Murphy/Christian Katzenmeier/Ina Ebert/Katarzyna Ludwichowska-Redo/Ernst A Kramer

Comparative Studies in the Development of the Law of Torts in Europe (edited by John Bell and David Ibbetson), Vols 1–6, (2012) 3 JETL 265

New Publication: Basic Questions of Tort Law from a Germanic Perpective

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:27:25 GMT

The Institute is pleased to announce the recent publication of the honorary research fellow H Koziol, the Basic Questions of Tort Law from a Germanic Perspective (2012).

Published in 2012, this book is the first part of a project supported by the Austrian Science Fund, which seeks to produce answers to the basic questions of tort law in Europe from a comparative perspective. ‘Basic Questions of Tort Law from a Germanic Perspective’ is intended to provide a basis for comprehensive responses by representatives of other European legal families and jurisdictions outside Europe on the fundamental ideas elaborated in this book. In line with the FWF’s open access policy, a free electronic copy of the study is archived on the publisher’s website.

The book in hand tries to give a more extensive introduction to the delictual and contractual law of liability and damages. It addresses basic problems and questions and where appropriate elaborates upon them; it queries the usual arguments, prompts the reconsideration of apparently established ideas and enhances awareness of interrelationships. Above all the position of the law of tort within the overall system for the protection of legal goods is examined. The resulting conclusions serve to facilitate the subsequent elaboration of the tasks of the law of tort, in which context the increasingly emphasised economic function is discussed as well as the compensatory, deterrent and penal functions.

However, the book is not limited to these very general considerations but also seeks to apply the insights gained in order to examine both general and more specific questions. These in turn aim to provide the reader with information which will enable him or her to understand better the ideas in foreign legal systems. Nonetheless, no attempt is made to provide a complete overview; instead the focus is on particularly controversial issues and new approaches. Not only is the relationship between breaches of obligations and torts examined, the basic requirements for a claim under tort law – damage and causation – are discussed. An extensive section is devoted to the elements of establishing liability; besides wrongfulness and fault, other defects within the sphere of the party liable for damages are looked at: for example, the capacity to bear the economic burden, insurability, the notion of a risk community and the interplay of the various elements. The question of liability on the side of the victim, ie contributory responsibility, is looked at anew – starting from basic principles. After the limitation of liability, the compensation of damage and the reduction of the duty to compensate, a final section is devoted to the prescription of compensation claims.

The book can be ordered at the price of Euro 78 (excluding postage and packing) through the publishers’ website www.jan-sramek-verlag.at

H Koziol (ed): Basic Questions of Tort Law from a Germanic Perspective, ISBN 978-3-902638-85-4.

Forthcoming Conference: The Use of Scientific Evidence in Criminal and Civil Litigation

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:53:01 GMT

A cross-disciplinary symposium taking place in Birmingham Law School (UK) on 19 October.

The symposium will bring together lawyers and scientists to discuss common problems associated with the legal use of scientific evidence and to explore potential solutions to these problems.

Attendance is free but pre-registration is required.

All queries should be directed to c.mcivor@bham.ac.uk

A flyer with more information can be found [here]

Publications by Members of the Institute in the Second Quarter 2012

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:24:19 GMT

Alongside the many varied Projects undertaken by the Institute the Scientific Staff maintain a healthy publication record of their own also covering a wide range of legal areas. For the second Quarter of 2012 the publications by the Scientific Staff of Institute are as follows:

Karner, Ernst

•    Mangelfolgeschäden in Veräußerungsketten. Am Beispiel der Aus- und Einbaukosten. Wien: Jan Sramek Verlag (96 pages). (Together with Helmut Koziol).
•    Review of Elke Heinrich, Haftung bei alternativer Kausalität mit Zufall (2010), Juristische Blätter (JBl) 2012. Approx pp 3
•    Entscheidungsanmerkung zu OGH 21.6.2011, 1 Ob 63/11p. Österreichische Juristen Zeitung (ÖJZ) 2012, pp 312–313.
•    Entscheidungsanmerkung zu OGH 21.6.2011, 1 Ob 46/11p. Österreichische Juristen Zeitung (ÖJZ) 2012, p 367.
•    Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation in Austria. In: Oliphant, Ken; Wagner, Gerhard (eds), Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, pp 1–48. (Togehther with Felix Kernbichler).
•    Liability for Loss of Housekeeping Capacity in Austria. In: Karner, Ernst; Oliphant, Ken (eds), Loss of Houskeeping Capacity, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, pp 1–27. (Together with Nora Wallner-Friedl).
•    Loss of Housekeeping Capacity in Comparative Perspective. In: Karner, Ernst; Oliphant, Ken (eds), Loss of Housekeeping Capacity. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, pp 275–319 (Together with Ken Oliphant).
•    Die Haftung des Staates für administratives, judikatives und legislatives Unrecht aus rechtsvergleichender Perspektive. In: Tagungsband XX. Karlsbader Juristentag 2012, pp 93 – 113.
•    Loss of Housekeeping Capacity. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter (339 pages). (Editor ,together with Ken Oliphant).

Koziol, Helmut

•    Mangelfolgeschäden in Veräußerungsketten. Am Beispiel der Aus- und Einbaukosten, Wien: Jan Sramek Verlag (96 pages). (Together with Ernst Karner).
•    Entscheidungsbesprechung (Unwirksamkeit einer Zugangsfiktions-Klausel in einem Verbrauchervertrag), Österreichisches Bank Archiv (ÖBA) 2012, pp 250–252.
•    Gedanken zur österreichischen Schadenersatzreform. In: Bundesministerium für Justiz (ed), 200 Jahre ABGB, Richterwoche 2011 in Lochau, Wien/Graz: NWV, pp 307–333.
•    Glanz und Eleden der deutschen Zivilrechtsdogmatik – Das deutsche Zivilrecht als Vorbild für Europa? Archiv für die civilistische Praxis 2012, pp 1–62.

Oliphant, Ken

•    Loss of Housekeeping Capacity. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter (339 pages). (Editor, together with Ernst Karner).

Thiede, Thomas

•    The European Coordination of Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability. In: Oliphant, Ken; Wagner, Gerhard (eds), Employers’ Liability and Workers’ Compensation, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, pp 485–517
•    Aktivgerichtsstand für Betroffene von Persönlichkeitsrechtsverletzungen im Onlinebereich. ecolex – Zeitschrift für Wirtschaftsrecht 2012, pp 131–134.
•    Mass Media, Personality Rights and European Conflict of Laws. SSRN: . (Together with Colm Peter McGrath).

Wallner-Friedl, Nora

•    Liability for Loss of Housekeeping Capacity in Austria. In: Karner, Ernst; Oliphant, Ken (eds), Loss of Houskeeping Capacity, Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, pp 1–28. (Together with Ernst Karner).

New Publication: Loss of Housekeeping Capacity

Fri, 20 Jul 2012 17:39:21 GMT

The Institute for European Tort Law is pleased to announce the completion of the study on 'Loss of Housekeeping Capacity' with the publication of a volume with DeGruyter Verlag.

The topic is of particular interest for insurers as compensation for loss of housekeeping capacity is one of the main heads of damages awarded for personal injury. Naturally it also has considerable importance for accident victims. Yet it has received relatively little scholarly attention, at least from a comparative perspective. The aim of this study is to examine national approaches to the award of damages under the head of loss of housekeeping capacity, and to compare the levels of damages so awarded. The research therefore addressed both the concepts employed in different national systems and, by means of practical case studies, the compensation actually paid in individual cases.

The results of the research comprise ten country reports (Austria, England and Wales, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and Switzerland) based on a Questionnaire (Part I: General Part and Doctrine, Part II: Concrete Assessment Examples) and a concluding Comparative Report.

This project, 'Loss of Housekeeping Capacity', was undertaken at the request of the Swiss Insurance Association.

Ernst Karner and Ken Oliphant (eds), Loss of Housekeeping Capacity (2011), ISBN 978-3-89949-814-1.

Delegation of Yantai University visits Institute

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:10:21 GMT

On 27 July 2012, the Institute is delighted to receive a visit from Dr Shaokun Fang, President of Yantai University, Shandong Province, China, and Prof Jie You, Director, International Office, also of Yantai University.

The visit follows the signing in 2011 of a cooperation agreement between the Institute and Yantai University under which a biennial forum on Sino-European private law is planned. Under the agreement, Yantai University has established a Sino-European Tort Law Institute (SETLI) and will actively promote the Institute and its work in China, while the Institute will actively promote the SETLI and its work in Europe. By a side-agreement, the SETLI will also embark on a series of translations into Chinese of Institute publications. Institute Director Ken Oliphant says: 'The cooperation is a very exciting opportunity for the Institute of European Tort Law, and I personally welcome the chance of working with the outstanding tort scholars involved in the creation of the SETLI.'