Posted 11/12/08
CALL FOR PAPERS
DISPUTES, TECHNOLOGY AND LAW:
EXPANDING THE BOUNDARIES OF ONLINE DISPUTE RESOLUTION
The 2009 International Forum on Online Dispute Resolution
Haifa, Israel June 3-4, 2009
The spread of digital technologies in recent decades has
transformed the field of conflict resolution. Whereas in
the past, institutions and processes for addressing
disputes were premised on physical presence and face-to-
face interaction, new mechanisms for addressing disputes
have emerged online. These processes - typically termed
Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) - were perceived initially
as an appropriate means for addressing simple disputes that
emerged online and for which traditional dispute resolution
avenues (courts or face-to-face ADR) were not available.
Nowadays, ODR has spread to additional domains such as
family disputes and peace building efforts, e.g. offline,
complex and emotional disputes, precisely those domains
originally perceived as inappropriate for ODR.
Consequently, ODR is no longer confined to the delivery of
processes of dispute resolution online but studies the role
and impact of technology on the emergence, transformation
and resolution of disputes. This broader understanding
covers such developments as Digital Courts and the
Transformation of the Legal Profession into the province of
ODR. The location of the conference provides a unique
setting for exploring these themes. Haifa, the third
largest city in Israel, is a center for IT development and
entrepreneurship and a unique locus in which people of
different religions and ethnic backgrounds live side by
side. Israel, more generally, is home of numerous
technological breakthroughs, but is also in the midst of a
long-lasting and bloody conflict with the Palestinian
population.
TOPICS:
The conference seeks to present a comprehensive view of the
field (in terms of practice and theory) and to reflect on
directions for future development and expansion in three
main areas - the business sector, the courts and the
international sphere. By bringing together academics and
professionals from diverse disciplines to discuss the
current state of ODR and its future evolution, we seek to
explore the following themes:
- Will ODR remain separate from ADR and courts?
- What lessons can we draw from the challenges of
traditional dispute resolution mechanisms in face of the
proliferation of digital technologies?
- Is ODR better suited to address technology-related
disputes?
- What norms should guide ODR processes in addressing
technology-related disputes in such areas as freedom of
speech, privacy and IP rights?
- What procedural values are and should be promoted by ODR
mechanisms?
- Who are the "old" (lawyers?) and "new" (ODR providers,
websites?) intermediaries of the contemporary dispute
resolution landscape and what role should they play?
- What role should regulation occupy in the development of
ODR?
- What are the ways in which technology can be used to
promote peacebuilding?
- What can we learn from the successes and failures of ODR?
IMPORTANT DATES:
- The conference on June 3-4, 2009 will be comprised of
several formats, including round table discussions,
panels and lectures. Roundtable participants will be
required to submit final summaries of a 1000 words, while
panel participants will be required to submit full
papers.
- 500 word abstracts containing full name, affiliation and
email address must be submitted by December 1, 2008 to:
Email: MAILTO:techlaw@law.haifa.ac.il
with the subject line "ODR Conference 2009".
- Notification of acceptance and format (roundtable or
panel) will be given by January 1, 2009.
- Submission of final summaries and full papers by: March
1, 2009.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
For more information please contact:
CONTACT: Dr. Orna Rabinovich-Einy
Assistant Professor
Faculty of Law
University of Haifa
Email: MAILTO:orabin@research.haifa.ac.il
or
CONTACT: Ms. Meital Duvdevani
Haifa Center of Law and
Technology Coordinator
Email: MAILTO:techlaw@law.haifa.ac.il