COVER -- HALF-TITLE -- TITLE -- COPYRIGHT -- CONTENTS -- ILLUSTRATIONS -- TABLES -- TABLE OF CASES -- Australia -- England and Scotland -- TABLE OF UK STATUTES -- TABLE OF UK STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS -- TABLE OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES LEGISLATION AND DOCUMENTS -- TABLE OF FOREIGN STATUTES -- TABLE OF TREATIES AND CONVENTIONS -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS -- ABBREVIATIONS -- 1 Introduction -- 2 The concepts of fairness -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Definition of fairness in dispute resolution -- 2.2.1 Equal treatment of the parties -- 2.2.2 A rational approach to dispute resolution -- 2.2.3 Effectiveness -- Access -- Counterpoise -- 2.2.4 Conclusion -- 2.3 Process values and forms of procedural justice -- 2.3.1 Process values -- 2.3.2 The Rawlsian concept of procedural justice -- 2.4 Due process -- 2.5 The difference principle: counter-balancing existing inequalities -- 2.6 The inherent conflict between due process and effectiveness -- 2.7 Conclusion -- 3 Internet disputes -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Characteristics of the Internet -- 3.2.1 Location irrelevant for functionality -- 3.2.2 Difficulty of establishing location of Internet users -- 3.2.3 Increase in transnational contacts - a quantitative and qualitative change -- 3.2.4 Conclusion: the implications for Internet disputes -- 3.3 Examples of Internet disputes -- 3.4 Contract and tort -- 3.5 Power in dispute resolution -- 3.5.1 Resources -- 3.5.2 'Repeat player' effect and power -- 3.5.3 Vulnerability -- 3.6 Definition of relevant disputes in respect of the parties -- 3.6.1 Meaning of 'consumer' under different laws and regulations -- 3.6.2 A preliminary definition: widening the scope -- 3.6.3 The definition of relevant Internet disputes and its purpose -- 3.7 Definition of relevant disputes in respect of the size of the claim -- 3.8 Chargebacks and refunds by payment service providers.

3.8.1 Credit-card chargeback and joint liability -- Credit-card chargeback explained -- Protection against fraudulent misuse of all payment cards -- Conclusion as to chargebacks -- 3.8.2 PayPal -- 3.8.3 Conclusion -- 3.9 The jurisdictional challenge of the Internet -- 3.10 Conclusion -- 4 ADR and applicable law -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.2 ADR -- 4.2.1 Mediation -- Mediation explained -- How mediation works, and its purpose -- 4.2.2 Arbitration -- 4.3 Applicable law -- 4.3.1 Law of the arbitration agreement, the lex arbitri and applicable law distinguished -- 4.3.2 Options -- 4.3.3 Determination of the applicable law -- Choice of law -- No choice of law -- 4.3.4 Conclusion: the challenge of applicable law -- 4.3.5 Mandatory laws -- Mandatory laws explained -- Mandatory rules applied in practice -- 4.4 Conclusion -- 5 ODR and access -- 5.1 Introduction -- 5.2 Definition of ODR -- 5.3 Forms of ODR -- 5.3.1 Brief overview -- 5.3.2 Case study: Austrian Internet Ombudsman -- 5.4 Technologies used -- 5.4.1 Online mediation -- 5.4.2 Automated negotiation - negotiation assistance -- 5.4.3 Automated negotiation - blind bidding -- 5.4.4 Online juries / mock trials -- 5.4.5 Online arbitration -- 5.5 Transformative power of ODR -- 5.5.1 Technology as the fourth party in ODR -- Overcoming distances -- Empowering communication -- Saving human labour cost -- Psychological effect of online communication - dealing with negative emotions -- Faster information processing -- 5.5.2 Transformative power: greater access to justice -- 5.6 Conclusion -- 6 Arbitration and due process -- 6.1 Introduction -- 6.2 Sources of legal due process -- 6.2.1 Professional codes of conduct and contract for arbitral services -- 6.2.2 Institutional and other arbitration rules -- 6.2.3 National arbitration legislation -- 6.2.4 English common law -- 6.2.5 Human rights standards -- ECHR.

US constitutional due process standards -- 6.2.6 International conventions and standards -- 6.2.7 Conclusion -- 6.3 Impartiality and independence in adjudication -- 6.3.1 Impartiality and independence of judges -- Defining impartiality and independence -- Independence and the relevant risk assessment -- 6.3.2 Impartiality and independence of arbitrators -- The English Arbitration Act 1996 and the common law -- Important differences between arbitrators and judges -- Arbitrators as men or women of business -- Payment and the 'repeat player' syndrome -- Appointment by the parties -- Systemic bias -- Disclosure -- 6.3.3 Conclusion -- 6.4 Fair hearing -- 6.4.1 Prior notice -- 6.4.2 Opportunity to present one's case and rebut that of the other party - fair hearing in a narrower sense -- Fair hearing - the principle -- Amorphous nature of the requirements of fair hearing -- Fair hearing in arbitration -- Conclusion -- 6.5. Duty to give reasons -- 6.6 Transparency versus confidentiality -- 6.6.1 The case for transparency -- Informational equality -- Scrutiny as quality assurance -- Development of the law -- 6.6.2 Presumption of confidentiality in arbitration -- 6.6.3 What should be kept confidential? -- 6.6.4 Who is under a duty of confidentiality? -- 6.6.5 Contract and institutional rules -- 6.6.6 Arbitration laws -- 6.6.7 Conclusion: an inadequate balance under English law -- 6.7 Right of appeal / judicial review of arbitration awards -- 6.8 Conclusion -- 7 Internet disputes and fair arbitration -- 7.1 Introduction -- 7.2 Legal controls on the use of arbitration clauses in consumer contracts -- 7.2.1 Subject-matter arbitrability -- 7.2.2 Control of consumer arbitration under English law -- Small-claims disputes -- Regulation of unfair contract terms -- Conclusion: English law -- 7.2.3 Control of adhesion contracts under US state law.

7.2.4 A critique of consumer arbitration -- The risk of systemic bias against consumer complainants -- Transaction costs -- Confidentiality -- No reasons and no appeal -- Applicable law -- One-sided procedure -- 7.2.5 Conclusion -- 7.3 UDRP as a model for ODR -- 7.3.1 Brief description of the UDRP -- 7.3.2 A critique of the UDRP -- Independence and impartiality -- Notice and service to the respondent -- Fair hearing: minimum standards and equality -- Language -- Use of online technology -- Lack of appeal and inconsistency of decisions -- Transparency -- 7.3.3 Conclusion -- 7.4 Proportionate model of dispute resolution -- 7.4.1 Two spheres: one public and one private -- 7.4.2 The waiver doctrine - fully informed and voluntary approach -- 7.4.3 Internet disputes and the waiver doctrine -- 7.4.4 The proportionate model explained -- 7.5 Conclusion -- 8 A model of dispute resolution for the Internet -- 8.1 Introduction -- 8.2 Bringing the parties to arbitration -- 8.2.1 Contractually mandated schemes -- Arbitration agreement between participants -- Arbitration agreement for the benefit of a third-party claimant -- Contractually mandated schemes in practice -- 8.2.2 Compulsory statutory arbitration -- Ombudsman schemes for communication disputes -- Financial Ombudsman Service -- Classification of compulsory arbitration/ombudsman services as arbitration -- Compulsory ombudsman/adjudication scheme for Internet disputes -- 8.3 Standards for online arbitration of Internet disputes - findings from previous chapters -- 8.3.1 Applying the 'weaker' party's mandatory laws -- 8.3.2 Independence and impartiality of the provider and the arbitrators -- Independence and impartiality of the arbitrators -- Independence of the institution -- 8.3.3 Fair hearing -- 8.3.4 Reasons for decisions and transparency -- 8.3.5 Judicial review/appeal.

8.4 Implementation of the standards -- 8.4.1 Institutional rules -- 8.4.2 National legislation -- 8.4.3 An international convention on enforcement of awards -- 8.4.4 Referral systems / clearing house -- 8.5 Proportionality, costs and state funding -- 8.6 The model: resolution of Internet disputes -- 8.6.1 Non-binding forms of ODR -- 8.6.2 Payment-reverse mechanisms -- 8.6.3 Online arbitration -- De minimis -- Due process standards and their implementation -- Contractually mandated online arbitration -- UK National Online Ombudsman Office -- New convention to overcome two potential obstacles to the New York Convention -- 8.6.4 Litigation -- 8.7 Conclusion -- 8.8 Recommendations -- 8.8.1 For online platforms -- 8.8.2 For Internet access providers -- 8.8.3 For E-commerce websites generally -- 8.8.4 For payment service providers -- 8.8.5 For providers of dispute resolution services -- 8.8.6 For governments and regulators -- BIBLIOGRAPHY -- INDEX.