The rule of law, access to justice, and fairness are particularly important issues in insurance law. The seminar will address the question of the extent to which ombudsman institutions help to reach these goals. Above all, the informal and cost-free nature of these procedures particularly meet the need for legal protection of the insureds. At the same time, a comparative legal analysis shows that there are quite different models of ombudsman systems internationally. In spite of these differences, all these systems aim, in their own way, to serve the rule of law, access to justice, and fairness. Next to a comparative report, the Swiss and the Dutch Ombudsman schemes will be presented in more detail.

Speakers:

• Moderator: Arnaud Chneiweis, Médiateur de l’Assurance, Paris
• Helmut Heiss, Professor of Law, University of Zurich
• Martin Lorenzon & Ann-Catherine Nabholz, Ombudsman der Privatversicherung und der SUVA, Zurich
• Eveline Ruinaard, Chair Arbitration Commission, Kifid, Dutch Institute for Financial Disputes, The Hague

The programme is here.