Introduction

The AIDA Dispute Resolution Working Party was established in 2017 although Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) issues had previously been considered as part of the activities of a Consumer Protection and Dispute Resolution Working Party. These included prior meetings at AIDA Europe events such as one held in Istanbul in May 2012 in conjunction with the General Principles of Insurance Law Working Party.

The new Working Party held its first meeting in Singapore in October 2017 (at the APIC Singapore event). Its area of interest is not confined to alternative dispute resolution mechanisms (mediation, arbitration, and conciliation) but extends to all aspects of insurance disputes.

The aim of the Working Party is to consider various methods adopted for the resolution of insurance disputes: traditional common law litigation; class action litigation; costs indemnity rules; fee uplifts; contingency fee arrangements; and the role of litigation funders. 

The Working Party also discusses methodologies and processes across jurisdictions in order to compare the relative strengths and weaknesses of the systems utilized in different AIDA Chapters around the world.

Participation is actively encouraged from all AIDA members globally and from anyone interested in the topic is to communicate their thoughts and ideas to the WP Chair or Deputy Chair for topics to consider at upcoming meetings. Input from all countries is positively welcomed. 

INSURANCE OMBUDSMAN’S SCHEMES

As a result of a high level of interest expressed at the AIDA Europe meeting in Lisbon in 2019 the Dispute Resolution Working Party established an initiative to examine the various insurance ombudsman’s schemes that operate in the AIDA Chapters around the world .

A Questionnaire was sent to numerous chapters. Responses so far received can be found here. We would like to receive as many as possible so for those countries yet to submit their report I would encourage them to do so.

We will prepare in due course a summary of the various schemes that operate around the various AIDA Chapters as primary source material for our global membership.

Chris Rodd – Chair AIDA Dispute Resolution Working Party
June 2020

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