Public Law Studies Quarterly

The Role of Government in Balancing the Power of Disputing Parties in Online Arbitrations

Document Type : Article

Authors

Mohammad Hassan Abootorabi Zarchi 1
Sayyed Nasrollah Ebrahimi 2
Vali Rostami 3

1 PhD Student in Public Law, Department of International and Public Law Faculty of Law, Divinity and Political Science; Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Prof., Department of Private and Islamic Law; Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Prof., Department Public Law; Faculty of Law and Political Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22059/jplsq.2021.324112.2790
Abstract
One of the major challenges of online arbitration in recent years, has been that some companies and traders have abused their superior economic position (especially in e-commerce field) against the weaker parties to the contract;  for instance, they have attempted to insert some unfair terms in the contract without clear notification to other party, or they have excessively approached to such tribunals, so that, strengthened the assumption of colluding and influencing managers and arbitrator working in those tribunals. These problems have raised some concerns and questions in the minds of policymakers and jurists about role of government in balancing power between litigants, as well as the philosophy and principles of monitoring the performance of online arbitration tribunals.The present article, beside describing these unfair terms and unbalanced conditions between disputed parties; analyzing the legal and judicial procedure of pioneer countries in the field of ODR (US and EU) and examining the local law of Iran; attempts, for the purpose of providing effective support for the weaker parties, to submit some useful and practical recommendations, by taking into account of principle of fair trial, goals of e-Government and also the principles of transparency and participation as the main principles of good governance.

Keywords

court
customer
electronic contracts
fair trial
government
online arbitration
Subjects

  1. English

    1. A) Books
    2. Beyleveld, D., & R. Brownsword (2007). Consent in the Law. Oxford and Portland, Oreg.: Hart Publishing.
    3. Cortés, P. (2011). Online Dispute Resolution for Consumers in the European Union, London: Routledge Research in IT and E-commerce Law, Online Version (Available at: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/181972/1/391038.pdf , last visited: 2020/07/18)
    4. Consumers International Organization (November 2001). Disputes in Cyberspace 2001: Update of Online Dispute Resolution for Consumers in Cross-Border Disputes. Consumers International Office for Developed and Transition Economies.
    5. Gronlund, A. (2002). Electronic Government: Design, Applications and Management, London: Idea Group Publishing.
    6. Harbhajan, S. K., & Varinder, P. S, (2005). Digital Economy: Impacts, Influences and Challenges. London: Idea Group Publishing.
    7. Hörnle, J. (2009). Cross-Border Internet Dispute Resolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
    8. Jang, H., & Moses the Great (2004). E-Government of Korea Accountant, (158), 21-24.
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    11. Norris, D. F. (2007). Current Issues and Trends in E-Government Research. London: CyberTech Publishing.
    12. Ponte, L. & T. Cavenagh (2005). Cyberjustice. New Jersey, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
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      San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
    14. Vahrenwald, A. (2006). Law of Online Arbitration. Munich: Centrebar.

     

    1. B) Article
    2. Dasteel, J. H. (2017). Consumer Click Arbitration: a Review of Online Consumer Arbitration Agreements. Arbitration Law Review, (9), 1-19.
    3. Eisenberg, Th., Geoffrey P. M. & Sherwin, E. (2008). Arbitration's Summer Soldiers: An Empirical Study of Arbitration Clauses in Consumer and Non-Consumer Contracts. University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform, (41), 871-896, Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mjlr/vol41/iss4/5 (Last Visited: 2020/08/25).
    4. Morek, R. (2005). Regulation of Online Dispute Resolution: Between Law and Technology. (Available at: https://sckool.org/regulation-of-online-dispute-resolution-between-law-and-techno.html, Last visited: 2020/07/22).
    5. Mohammadi, I., & Nikandam, S. (2018). Dimensions of Unfair Condition in Electronic Commerce Act. Quarterly Journal of Hamedan Police Science, 5(4), 67-88. (in Persian)
    6. Rule, C., & Nagarajan, C. (2010). The Wisdom of Crowds: The e-Bay Community Court and the Future of Online Dispute Resolution. Quarterly Magazine of Association for Conflict Resolution, Winter, 4-7.

     

    1. C) Thesis and Dissertations
    2. Abootorabi Zarchi, M. H. (2007). Online Arbitration and Legal Problems. Dissertation for LLM Degree of International Trade Law, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Joint Degree by Queen Mary, University of London and Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran (English and Persian Languages).
    3. Dariya, B. (2017-2018). Weaker Parties in Online Arbitration. Dissertation for the Degree of Master 2 Internal and International Contracts, Faculty of Jean Monnet, Paris-Sud University.
    4. Qouteshat, O. H. (2017). The Enforcement of Electronic Arbitral Awards in International Commercial Disputes under the New York Convention. A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Central Lancashire.

     

    1. D) Reports
    2. Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Consumer Protection in Electronic Commerce, Second Session Geneva, 3 –4 July 2017 (Internet Edition Prepared by the UNCTAD Secretariat), Available at: https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/cicplpd7_en.pdf , Last visited: 2020/11/23).
    3. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), (2003). "Dispute Settlement, International Commercial Arbitration; 5.9: Electronic Arbitration. New York and Geneva", (Available at: https://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/edmmisc232add20_en.pdf , Last visited: 2021/02/02)

     

    1. E) Cases
    2. All American Roofing, Inc. v. Zurich American Ins., Inc., 404 Ill. App. 3d 438, 453 (2010)
    3. AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion, 563 U.S. 333, 341 (2011).
    4. Brower v. Gateway2000 Inc, 676 NYS2d 569, 572 (1998)
    5. Janda v. T-Mobile, USA, Inc., No. C 05-03729, 2006 WL 708936 (Mar. 17, 2006)
    6. Nguyen v. Barnes & Noble, Inc., 763 F.3d 1171 (9th Cir. 2014)
    7. Specht v. Netscape Commc’ns Corp., 306 F.3d 17 (2d Cir. 2002).
    8. Tierney v. E-mail America.

     

    References In Persian:

    1. A) Books
    2. Katouzian, N. (2008). Legal Practices. Tehran: Enteshar Joint Stock Company, 12th ed (In Persian).
    3. Katouzian, N. (2009). General Rules of Contracts. Vol. 1, Tehran: Enteshar Joint Stock Company (In Persian).
    4. Panahi, M. (2018). Electronic Arbitration. Tehran: Javdaneh Publications (Jangal) (In Persian).
    5. Shiravi, A. H. (2009). International Trade Law. Tehran: Samt Publications (In Persian).

     

    1. B) Articles
    2. Ahmadzadeh Bazaz, S. A., & Rezaei Davani, M., & Ghabouli Dorafshan, S, M, S, (2018). The Concept and Position of Unfair Conditions in European and Iranian Law: With an Approach to Justice and Fairness in Imami Jurisprudence. Comparative Research of Islamic and Western Law, 5(3), 1-34 (U) (In Persian).
    3. Ebrahimi, S. N. & Abootorabi Zarchi, M, H, (2020). The Role of the Judiciary in Settlement of Commercial Disputes through Electronic Non-Judicial Methods. Perspectives on Judicial Law, Autumn, 25(91), 43-43 (In Persian).
    4. Ebrahimi, S. N., & Abootorabi Zarchi, M, H, (2021). Coping with Tsunami of Disputes, Following Covid-19 Pandemic by Developing Electronic Non-Judicial Disputes Resolution. Private and Criminal Law Researches, Winter, (46), 113-33 (In Persian).
    5. Ebrahimi, S. N., & Javandel Jananlou, F. (2015). TEFCEL Risk Management in Drafting International Petroleum Contracts. Energy Law Studies, 1(1), 17-36 (In Persian).
    6. Ghasemi Hamed, A. (1996). An Overview of the Theory of the Obligation to Provide Information in the Contract. Bar Association Magazine, (10). Available at: www.ghavanin.ir/PaperDetail.asp?id=243 (Last Visited: 202102/20) (In Persian).
    7. Ghasemi Hamed, A. (2007). Goodwill in the Contract, the Basis of Commitment to Integrity and Commitment to Cooperation in French Law, Journal of Legal Researches, (46) (In Persian).
    8. Mohammadian, M., & Vahabzadeh, S, (2005). Electronic Government, A New Paradigm in Providing Public Services and Reforming the Administrative System of the Country. Management, 2(3), 19-11 (In Persian).
    9. Nabizadeh Kebria, G. (2017). Methods of Substantive Control of Unfair Conditions in Iranian and British law. Quarterly Journal of International Studies, 14(3), 167-180 (In Persian).
    10. Sardoui Nasab, S.M. & Kazempour, S, J, (2011). Components of Unfairness of the Contract. Legal Journal of Justice, 75(75), 37-73 (In Persian).
    11. Selajgeh, S., & Honarmouz, S. (2012). E-Government from Theory to Practice. Development Strategy, (29), 267-248 (In Persian).
    12. Shakeri, E. (2011). E-Government, Definitions and .... its Mechanism. Hafez, (85), 70-73 (In Persian).
    13. Taghizadeh, E., & Ahmadi, A. (2015). The Position of Unfair Conditions in Iranian Law, with a Look at Article 46 of the Electronic Commerce Act. Private Law Research, 3(10), 9-42 (In Persian).
Public Law Studies Quarterly
Volume 54, Issue 2 - Serial Number 38
Summer 2024
Spring 2024
Pages 1155-1179

  • Receive Date 09 June 2021
  • Revise Date 28 August 2021
  • Accept Date 26 December 2021

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