Category Archives: Country Specific Information

Announcement of the IACL’s 2021 Conference Host

The IACL received two excellent bids to host the 2021 conference. The one bid was prepared by Santa Fe city, province of Santa Fe, Argentina, Faculty of Legal and Social Sciences, Litoral National University (prepared under the leadership of Prof Sebastián Barocelli from the University of Buenos Aires) to host the conference in Santa Fe in Argentina. The other bid was to host the conference in Hamburg, Germany and it was prepared by the Institute for Financial Services (IFF) (under the leadership of Dr Sally Peters and Prof. Dr Udo Reifner), an independent non-profit organization which was founded in 1987. After a rigorous voting process by the board of the IACL the bid was awarded to Hamburg. We congratulate the IFF for winning the bid to host the next IACL conference! The call for conference papers and more details regarding the 2021 conference in Hamburg (provisionally scheduled for July 2021) will follow in due course.

2019 Udo Reifner Award Winner: Ogochukwu Monye

Identification Management in Nigeria: Innovations for Financial Inclusion

Ms Ogochukwu (Ogo) Monye, a law lecturer at the University of Benin, Nigeria and a doctoral candidate at the University of Cape Town, South Africa was awarded the 2019 Udo Reifner Prize for the best abstract by a young doctoral scholar for her paper titled “Identification Management in Nigeria: Innovations for Financial Inclusion,” which discussed the important issue of lack of documentation that impedes numerous Nigerians from accessing financial services. The abstract of her paper follows below:

In Nigeria, about 41.6 percent of the population of the country lacks access to formal financial services according to the Central Bank of Nigeria. Studies have shown that apart from factors such as distance to banks, financial illiteracy, irregular income, unemployment and complexity of account opening; lack of proof of identity documentation debars a significant number of persons from accessing finance. This paper seeks to address the last issue as a significant factor of financial exclusion in order to help citizens more easily fulfil mandatory Know-Your-Customer (KYC) checks as well as facilitate access to additional financial products including loans, pension and insurance. Significantly, this is in line with goal 16.9 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) which envisions a legal identity for all by the year 2030. Notably, the National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) was established since 2007 to oversee all matters of citizens’ registration. So far, the commission has only succeeded in registering about 30 million Nigerians out of the total national population of approximately 198 million. The doctrinal method of research is employed as mostly legal literature and regulatory guidelines and policies are utilised. Furthermore, the author will draw examples from the regulatory landscape of other jurisdictions such as Pakistan, Peru and Uganda where positive strides have been achieved in the sphere of national registration. In Pakistan for instance, 98 per cent of the target population has been captured in the national identification programme including socially disadvantaged groups aided by a wide array of mobile registration agents comprising hikers, van drivers, mountaineers, bikers and skiers to locate citizens even in the most remote locations. Similarly, Uganda has attained 99 percent registration even though the programme was only commenced in the year 2014. The author proposes a self-sustaining universal national identification system that provides Nigerians with the needed foundational identity to access financial services with a view to achieving financial inclusion. The paper proposes an efficient national identification system that is cost-effective, inclusive and recognises the unique socio-cultural and demographic characteristics of Nigeria. The shortcomings of the existing identification system such as funding strategies, mode of registration and logistics management are highlighted. The paper proposes more effective means to reach excluded populations through an efficient national identification system founded on new and existing technology including biometrics, blockchain and the Internet of Things. The paper is expected to contribute to the growing body of literature on improving national identification and the global conversation on financial inclusion bolstered on an effective national identification system. Furthermore, the recommendations are intended to foster socially inclusive gains in several other sectors including agriculture, health and social security. Finally, even though this work is specifically focused on Nigeria, the findings offer veritable lessons for other nations grappling with financial exclusion by reason of inadequate or unsuitable identification systems.

2017 Norbert Reich Prize Winner: Sylvia Tang

 INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL CONSUMER PROTECTION IN CHINA, JAPAN AND KOREA: CAN THE FIAGC MODEL HELP IN ASIA? 

China, Japan and South Korea are important forces to promote development in Asian tourism and are significant tourist regions with great potential all over the world. In light of the statistics, in 2014, the number of exchange visitors among those three states reached 20 million 470 thousand. The scale of inbound tourism of three states accounted for nearly 60% of the total inbound tourism in the Asia-Pacific region. Huge market scale for the tourism industry created brand-new opportunities, but also encountered a lot of problems. During May Day holiday 2016, several Chinese tourist groups were cheated by the Japanese guide for shopping in a “Duty Free” shop which is specific for Chinese tourists and buying the health care products with price 3 times higher than that on the normal shop, but they did not know how to complaint in a strange place. In Seventh October 2016, thousands of visitors from china to Jeju Island in Korea were excluded and detained due to Visa problem, even though Jeju Island is a Visa-free area for Chinese visitors. Under such circumstances, the governments of China, Japan and Korea need solve lots of problems under the condition of regional cooperation. For instance, how to create a securer tourism environment and provide better travel services for tourists, and how the tourists protect themselves When their rights have been infringed in other two states. Regarding the area of regional consumer protection, FIAGC Model, as the regional institutions established by Latin American governments, Portugal and Spain, devoting to analyzing and discussing on consumer protection and development including travel consumer, is the world’s most advanced regional cooperation platform for consumer protection. This paper seeks to show the Asia-Pacific region can take the FIAGC Model as reference to establish a dialogue platform between the governments and further to promote cooperation among the states for protecting the rights and interests of travel consumers. 

Deadline to submit abstracts for 2019 IACL conference is extended to 31 January 2019

We have received several requests to extend the time for submitting abstracts for the June 2019 IACL conference. In response, the conference organizers will now be accepting abstracts through January 2019.

 IACL Conference: “Innovation and the Transformation of Consumer Law”June 13-15, 2019, Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law C

Dates: Thursday, 13 June 2019 – Saturday, 15 June 2019

Location: Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, 530 W. New York Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USAThe 17th conference of the International Association of Consumer law will be organized around the theme of “Innovation and the Transformation of Consumer Law.” We kindly invite participants from around the world to submit an abstract (max. 500 words) of a paper they would like to present during the conference. 

Abstracts and inquiries should be sent to [email protected].  

Please note that no interpreters will be available for language translation.The conference will run from approximately 9:00 AM on Thursday, June 13, 2019 to 3:00 PM on Saturday, June 15. It will be held at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law in Indianapolis, Indiana. The goal of this conference is to provide a forum where leading international scholars, practitioners, representatives of consumer organizations, public authorities and business can gather together to present and discuss issues relevant to consumer protection in many sectors and from various perspectives. We welcome both theoretical and empirical submissions.  Selected authors will be offered an opportunity to publish their papers in the Indiana International and Comparative Law Review.

TOPICS: We encourage presenters to focus on the overarching theme of the conference: “Innovation and the Transformation of Consumer Law.”  Innovation in this sense could encompass technologies that create new challenges for consumer policy (e.g., the “internet of things,” “smart” contracts), creative developments that can assist consumers in protecting their economic interests (e.g., online consumer reviews), innovative approaches to solving traditional and continuing consumer concerns, and challenges presented by emerging ways of creating and delivering consumer products and services.  Within the general theme, presenters might reflect on past successes (and failures) of consumer law and policy in a particular area of commerce, opportunities for moving consumer law in a different direction, or the potential threats to consumer welfare (particularly the impact of changes in the political landscape in some parts of the world). Papers focusing on consumer law in individual countries are welcome, as well as papers with an international focus.For more information about the conference, hotel accommodations, registration, and a conference schedule, please visit the conference website at: https://mckinneylaw.iu.edu/iacl-conference

CALL FOR PAPERS: A New Deal for Civil Justice? The New Deal for Consumers and the Justiciability of EU Consumer Rights

CALL FOR PAPERS: A New Deal for Civil Justice? The New Deal for Consumers and the Justiciability of EU Consumer Rights
11-12 April 2019, Amsterdam
22 October 2018

The 2019 CSECL conference revolves around the New Deal for Consumers that was proposed by the European Commission on 11 April 2018. It focuses on issues of civil justice that the New Deal aims to address – as well as, crucially, the questions it appears to raise. The workshop will bring together researchers interested in (the future of) European private law, civil procedure, consumer law and, possibly, others with an interest in the enforcement of EU law and EU constitutional law.

Call for papers
We encourage younger and more established researchers interested in the theme to submit an abstract by 21st December 2018 by email to Rahila Haque, [email protected]. Draft papers will be due at the end of March 2019. CSECL endeavours to cover the accepted speakers’ (economy class) travel and accommodation costs.

The organisers and CSECL aim to publish some or all conference proceedings in a special issue of a reputable European law journal. More details will follow.

For further information
If you have any questions about the conference or require further information, please contact Anna van Duin and Candida Leone.

 

17eme conférence IACL: Appel aux contributions

17eme conférence IACL: Appel aux contributions

« Modernisation et transformation du droit de la consommation »

Du 13 au 15 juin 2019

Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law

Appel aux contributions: 17eme Conférence de l’Association Internationale du Droit de la Consommation (IACL)

Date limite de soumission : 15 décembre 2018. Envoyer à : [email protected]

Dates : Du jeudi 13 juin 2019 au samedi 15 juin 2019

Lieu: Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, 530W. New York Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA

La 17eme Conférence de l’Association Internationale du Droit de la Consommation sera centrée sur le thème de la « Modernisation et de la Transformation du Droit de la Consommation ». Nous invitons les participants du monde entier à soumettre le résumé du texte qu’ils souhaitent présenter lors de la conférence. (Avec un maximum de 500 mots et à la date limite du 15 décembre 2018). Les résumés et les demandes doivent être envoyés à l’adresse suivante : [email protected]. Veuillez noter qu’il n’y aura pas d’interprète disponible pour la traduction.

La conférence se déroulera du jeudi 13 juin 2019 vers 9h00 du matin au samedi 15 juin 2019 vers 15h00. Elle aura lieu dans les locaux de la « Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law » située à Indianapolis dans l’Etat de l’Indiana.

L’objectif de la conférence est d’être un lieu d’échanges permettant aux chercheurs les plus reconnus, aux praticiens, aux représentants des organisations de consommateurs, aux autorités publiques et aux entreprises de se rencontrer et d’échanger sur les questions de la protection des consommateurs dans de multiples secteurs et depuis des points de vue variés. Nous recherchons des approches aussi bien théoriques qu’empiriques. Les personnes sélectionnées se verront offrir l’opportunité de publier leur travail dans la revue « Indiana International and Comparative Law Review ».

Sujets : Nous encourageons les participants à se concentrer sur le thème principal de la conférence, à savoir : « La modernisation et la transformation du droit de la consommation. » Le thème de la modernisation comprend les technologies à l’origine de nouveaux défis pour les politiques de défense des consommateurs (comme « l’internet des choses »,   les « smarts » contrats, les innovations créatives qui vont pouvoir aider les consommateurs à défendre leurs intérêts économiques (comme les commentaires clients en ligne), les approches innovantes pour régler les problèmes typiques et récurrents des consommateurs ainsi que les défis occasionnés par les nouveaux services et produits proposés.

A l’intérieur de ce thème principal, les candidats pourront présenter les succès et les échecs des politiques du droit de la consommation dans un domaine spécifique du commerce, les possibilités d’évolution du droit de la consommation dans une direction différente, ou les menaces potentielles sur les consommateurs (particulièrement l’impact des changements du paysage politique dans certaines parties du monde). Les travaux se concentrant sur l’étude du droit de la consommation dans des pays spécifiques sont les bienvenus, tout comme ceux plus centrés sur l’international.

Pour plus d’informations, sur les hôtels, l’enregistrement et le programme de la conférence veuillez-vous référer au site internet de l’évènement (en cours de développement) : https://mckinneylaw.iu.edu/iacl-conference

Toutes les présentations abordant des thèmes relatifs à la protection des consommateurs seront prises en compte, y compris entres autres :

  • L’accès a la justice
  • La résolution des conflits
  • Les dimensions internationales du droit de la consommation
  • Le développement durable
  • Le respect de la vie privée des consommateurs
  • L’éducation des consommateurs
  • La santé
  • Les assurances
  • Les technologies émergentes, l’internet et les « smart » contracts
  • Les changements du climat politique
  • Les organisations de consommateurs
  • Le tourisme, les voyages
  • Les services financiers
  • La publicité et le marketing
  • L’économie de partage
  • La sécurité des produits
  • L’histoire et l’évolution du droit de la consommation
  • Le dialogue avec les autres disciplines

Tous les résumés seront étudiés par les organisateurs de la conférence. Les participants seront informés de la décision des organisateurs le plus tôt possible. Les lettres de notification et d’invitation seront envoyées le plus rapidement possible afin de permettre aux participants de s’organiser en temps voulu pour préparer leur voyage et faire les demandes de visa nécessaires.

Les participants ayant besoin d’aide pour faire leur demande de visa peuvent se référer au site internet de la conférence pour de plus amples informations.

INFORMATIONS SUPPLEMENTAIRES : La conférence comprendra des séances plénières chaque jour. La plupart des travaux seront cependant présentés lors de sessions spécifiques suivant les séances plénières, avec un temps de présentation n’excédant pas 15 à 20 minutes. De courtes périodes de discussion auront lieu pour chaque session.

Veuillez noter que tous les participants, présentant ou non un travail, doivent s’inscrire dans les temps requis par le règlement comme indiqué sur le site internet de la conférence et doivent effectuer leur paiement des droits d’inscription. Le site internet et l’enregistrement seront ouverts à partir du 1er octobre. Les participants sont invités à participer à tous les jours de la conférence ainsi qu’aux moments de convivialité et d’hospitalité organisés qui incluront plusieurs repas et des animations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consumer Law and Practice at India University

The link below will take you to bi-annual newsletters from 2008 to 2017 published by the Chair on Consumer Law and Practice of the National Law School of India University and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs.  The newsletters include descriptions of the latest consumer law judgments in India’s courts, and recently published books and articles on consumer law.

http://clap.nls.ac.in/?page_id=70