Arbitration clauses in consumer contracts and protection of consumer in arbitration

The text deals with some fundamental issues concerning arbitration clauses in consumer contracts and protection of consumers during arbitration proceedings. The purpuse of the thesis is to analyse current regulation of this field in the Czech Republic and evaluate changes brought about by amendment of Act No. 216/1994 Coll., on Arbitration and Enforcement of Arbitral Awards, which have come into force on 1st April 2012. The thesis is composed of five chapters. Chapter One is rather general and characterises major institutes of arbitration (with regard to disputes arising out of consumer contracts). Its eleven parts report on definition of arbitration and its forms, its inclusion among ADR mechanisms, reflections on suitability of arbitration in consumer disputes, its history and recent development, legal sources, basic principles, advantages and disadvantages in consumer disputes, main doctrines and fundamental conditions for arbitration (arbitrability and arbitration agreement). Chapter Two focuses on so-called "arbitration centres". The chapter consists of for parts. Part One describes their legal status. Part Two refers to recent discussions about admissibility of arbitration clauses recommended by centres. The next part seeks to draw attention to critical views of case law mentioned in the previous..