Juristenrunden
The Institute regularly holds public lectures or Juristenrunden which act as a forum for both ETL staff as well as invited and visiting scholars to present on a wide range of topics. All are welcome to attend these lectures. If you need further information on doing so please contact etl@oeaw.ac.at. Upcoming Juristenrunden are as follows:




16 April 2013, 10am
Jenny Steele
Insurance and the Tort-Crime Boundary on the Roads: UK Developments

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.

All are welcome to attend. Please contact Sonja Akbal at ectil@ectil.org for registration and for further details.

 


18 March 2013, 10am
Prof Janne Laho – University of Tartu
Tortfeasor’s Fault in Estonian and European Tort Law

The Institute is pleased to announce the above lecture by Janne Laho, Professor of Law from the University of Tartu (Estonia) on Monday, March 18, 2013 at 10 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. Please contact Sonja Akbal at ectil@ectil.org for registration and for further details.

 


11 July 2013, 10am
Stefan Somers
The Influence of Human Rights on Belgian Tort Law

Abstract: In recent years, the idea that human rights, via their so-called horizontal effect or Drittwirkung, should have some influence on tort law has become more and more accepted. This evolution raises questions on the methods whereby one can appeal to human rights in tort law litigation and on the overall impact of human rights on tort law.
 
In Belgium, these questions are becoming more and more pressing since, on the one hand, the Constitutional Court develops 'a tort law jurisprudence' whereas, on the other hand, the Court of Cassation more often makes use of human rights when dealing with tort law. This presentation will discuss the methods whereby human rights influences  tort law in litigation before these two courts and will give a rough overview on the overall impact of human rights on Belgian tort law.

All are welcome to attend. Please contact Sonja Akbal at ectil@ectil.org for registration and for further details.