Материал: Том 2 № 3

Digital Law Journal.Vol.2, No.3, 2021,p.8–22

AlexeyA.Kostin,AlexanderV.Grebelsky/DigitalArbitration—AUsefulToolintheHands

Can evidence obtained from websites prohibited by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology, and Mass Media or from the Darknet be qualified as evidenceobtainedillegally?Inparticular,whatdoyouthinkoftheevidencefromWikiLeaks,aninterna- tionalnon-profitorganizationthatpublishesclassifiedinformationtakenfromanonymoussources, orwhenthisinformationisleaked?

A.K.: According to the Law of the Russian Federation “On International Commercial Arbitration” (Article19(2)),thearbitraltribunalisempoweredtodeterminetheadmissibility,relevance,materiality,andweightofanyevidence.Itisdifficultformetoimaginethatinformationfromprohibitedsites would be relevant in cases of commercial arbitration; in any case, these issues should be resolved underthenationallawoftheseatofarbitration.

A.G.: It is impossible not to agree with this point of view. Moreover, there is a significant advantage of arbitration, since the arbitrator, unlike a state judge, is not bound by strict national rules of evidence. At the same time, the arbitrators try to take into account the provisions of the law applicable to these issues. From a legal point of view, these situations are very difficult, since in modern international commercial arbitration the tribunal is mainly bound by the obligation to make enforceabledecisions.Therefore,veryoftenwearetalkingaboutthenationallegislationofthestates, whosenationalitythepartiestothedisputepossess.Indeed,suchasituationwillberatherexoticin commercial arbitration, but in investment arbitration, such cases have already been met. For example, in the famous ConocoPhillips v. Venezuela case, the respondent State requested the tribunal to reconsider part of the decision on jurisdiction and the merits of the dispute, since new evidence had beenpublishedbyWikiLeaksbeforethecompletionoftheproceedingsregardingthedetermination of the amount of compensation awarded. The majority of the Tribunal’s members concluded that therevisionofthedecisionwasundesirable,takingintoaccounttheprincipleofresjudicata.Atthe same time, it is known that in this case there was a dissenting opinion from one of the arbitrators, who considered the evidence from WikiLeaks credible. An essential factor in such cases is an indica- tionofwhospecificallyreceivedthisorthatevidence—thepartyitselforathirdparty.

Doyousharetheviewthattheuseofonlinetechnologiescomplicatesthepossibilityofinterrogatingwitnessesandpreventingthemfromexercisingtherighttobeheard,sinceanonlinehearing is not able to convey the full range of emotions of the participants in the process, and does not excludefollowingtheinstructionsofthirdparties?

A.K.:I,likemanyexpertsinthefieldofMCA,sharethisview.AdetailedargumentationonthisissueispresentedinthepublicationbyEnglishlawyerKhawarQureshiQC“Aleaptowardsdigitalcourt hearings must deal with all their limitations” in The Times on May 27, 2021. In reputable arbitration institutions, work is underway to improve regulatory requirements and create the technical conditions necessary to, if not completely eliminate, then at least significantly reduce the risks that are indicated in your question. In the practice of the ICAC, the issue of proper identification of persons actingaswitnessesisalsorelevant.

A.G.:Beforetheoutbreakofthepandemic,Imyselfwasopposedtotheuseofvirtualtechnologies forinterrogatingwitnesses,sinceitisknownthatasignificantpartoftheinformationistransmitted during interrogation non-verbally. However, after having gained experience in cross-examination

20 INTERVIEW

Цифровоеправо.Том2, №3, 2021, с.8–22

А.А.Костин,А.В.Гребельский/Цифровойарбитраж—полезноеорудиеврукахhomosapiens

with videoconferencing systems as a representative, I can say that this procedure has its advantages — it allows you to concentrate much more on the witness and his reaction. If I may put it that way, the opposing party is forced to sit “on the other side of the ramp”. In addition, you need to understand that the degree of drama in international commercial arbitration is sometimes artificially heated:afterall,thisisnotacriminalprocess—wearetalkingaboutcommercialandbusinessrela- tionsbetweentheparties,andthenuancesofthebehaviorofwitnessesplayasecondaryrolehere.

Do you think online dispute resolution can democratize the justice system, in particular the ICA system,makingitmoreaccessibleandlessfinanciallyburdensome?Or,onthecontrary,theuseof advancedtechnologiesintheresolutionofdisputes,withitsprimarygoalofprovidinggreatercomforttoitsparticipants,willsignificantlyincreasethecostsofconsideringthecase?

A.K.:Iamnotsureifthereisadirectlinkbetweenonlinedisputeresolutionanddemocratization. From the point of view of the size of state duties in domestic legal proceedings, they are extremely democraticandthereforeextremelybusy.“Electronicjustice”inthearbitrazhcourtsofRussiaistoa certain extent present. New digital technologies here are designed to speed up existing procedures andovercometheobstaclescausedbythepandemic.Internationalcommercialarbitrationinvolves a substantially higher level of costs, which can sometimes become a barrier to the initiation of arbitration. At the same time, I cannot help noting that the arbitration fees in the ICAC at the RF CCI areseveraltimeslowerthaninsimilararbitrationcentersinVienna,London,ParisandStockholm.It would be irrational and unfair to assume that the development and implementation of new technologiesintheICAfieldwillincreasethefinancialburdenofarbitrationusers.

A.G.: It is difficult to answer this question unambiguously. Some participants in the proceedings, which were held according to the rules of our center, noted a positive effect in the form of savings in travelexpensesfortheirlawyers.However,inforeignarbitration,alargeitemofexpenseshasbeen made up of the costs of technical specialists providing virtual support. To some extent, these costs arecomparabletothecostsoforganizingface-to-faceproceedings.

Inthepreviousissueofourjournal,UNSecretary-GeneralAntónioGuterresmentionedtheprob- lemofthedigitaldivide.Inyouropinion,isthereadigitaldivideintheICAsphere—forinstance,in theformofunequalaccesstotechnologyamongthepartiestothedisputeandarbitrators?

A.K.: It is difficult to disagree with the UN Secretary-General on this issue. In essence, we are talking about the actual inequality of access to advanced technologies. This circumstance may lead to a violation of the imperative principle of equal treatment of the parties prevailing in the ICA. Consequently, in specific arbitral proceedings, arbitrators must ensure that procedures and technol- ogiesareacceptabletoallpartiestoavoidannulmentornon-enforcementofawards.

A.G.: It should be understood that the digital divide does exist. For example, in terms of the development of information and communication technologies, Russia is only in 46th place in the UN world index. However, I am glad that the quality of the Internet connection in Russia is much better and at the same time cheaper than in many, even European, countries. Arbitrators indeed play a decisive role in upholding the principle of equality in the field of arbitration, who must tirelessly monitoraparty’sabilitytoexercisetherighttobeheard.

ИНТЕРВЬЮ 21

Digital Law Journal.Vol.2, No.3, 2021,p.8–22

AlexeyA.Kostin,AlexanderV.Grebelsky/DigitalArbitration—AUsefulToolintheHands

Doesdigitalizationimply,inyouropinion,ICAdelocalization?

A.K.: It is obvious that digitalization works for the existing and developing concept of ICA delocalization. In this regard, one cannot fail to notice that the category of “place of arbitration” now appearsnotintheformofitsphysicallocation,butinacontractualorstatutorystructurethatlinks aparticularproceedingwiththelegalsystemofaparticularcountry.Ithinkthattheneedforsucha connectionwillnotbelostintheforeseeablefuture.

A.G.:It seems that the parties to commercial contracts in the future will pay much more attention to the deliberate choice of law applicable to the arbitration procedure, as well as to the choice of the competent authority, without linking these concepts exclusively with the place of arbitration.

Accordingly, over time, the implied choice of applicable law, in my opinion, can be much more often found in the law applicable to the main contract due to the existence of a relevant clause. However, inmyopinion,therecanbenoquestionofcompletedelocalization.

Does a “digital arbitrator” have a future, or is it only humans who are capable of resolving disputes?

A.G.: As we know, a large number of disputes among users of sites such as eBay and Alibaba are already being resolved using special computer algorithms. This makes the process cheaper and faster. However, the “digital arbitrators” are not yet capable of considering truly complex legal relations, which are commercial disputes with a foreign element. Nevertheless, I am almost sure that thecorrespondingtechnologieswillhelptheminthefuturetounderstandthe“highermathematics” ofjurisprudence—PrivateInternationalLaw.Idareonlyhopethatthiswonderfulerawillnotbegin withus.

A.K.: If we treat “digital arbitration” as a useful tool in the hands of homo sapiens, then a bright futureawaitshim.

Informationabouttheauthors:

Alexey A. Kostin — Ph. D. in Law, Professor, Head of the Department of Private International and Civil Law, MGIMO University, President of the International Commercial Arbitration Court and the Maritime Arbitration

CommissionattheChamberofCommerceandIndustryoftheRussianFederation,Moscow,Russia.

ORCID 0000-0002-6991-4084

AlexanderV.Grebelsky*—Ph.D.inLaw,AssociateProfessor,DepartmentofPrivateInternationalandCivilLaw,

MGIMO University, Chairman of the Panel for International Disputes at the Arbitration Centre at the Russian

UnionofIndustrialistsandEntrepreneurs(RSPP),Moscow,Russia. grebelsky_a_v@mgimo.ru

ORCID 0000-0003-1301-3727

22 INTERVIEW

https://doi.org/10.38044/2686-9136-2021-2-3-23-45

INTERNET COURT ON SOLVING

ONLINE CONSUMER CONTRACT

DISPUTES: CASE OF CHINA

The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply influenced people’s way of life. The need to comply with various social restrictions has posed new and previously unknown challenges to humanity. Internet here plays a significant role in helping to maintain people’s life as usual. As online behavior increases, many disputes arise therefrom grow simultaneously. It is proposed that international online disputes would be solved effectively if Internet technologieswerereferredtoandadopted.Therefore,onlinelitigation,ajudicialmethodspeciallyestablished to solve online disputes, provides an ideal alternative to the traditional litigation process in this regard. Such litigationcanbeoperatedthroughInternetcourts(orcybercourts).

Today the palm in their establishment belongs to China that has successfully introduce the world’s first three, and only, Internet courts. Thus, the Chinese experience has been chosen as the primary empirical support ofthestudyonInternetcourts.

In this essay, a detailed review of the online litigation process will be analyzed using the example of the adopted rules and regulations for resolving disputes, as well as the judgements handed down by the Hangzhou InternetCourt,theworld’sfirstcybercourtsuccessfullyresolvingmultipleonlinedisputesoverfouryears.The essay firstly reviews the current rules and procedures of Hangzhou Internet court; this would serve for a better understanding of how the world’s first Internet court is operated. After that, the essay discusses in what circumstancesforeigncourtscanrecognizeandenforceInternetcourts’judgments.Theessayendsupwithgiving personal recommendations on the future development of Internet courts to solve online consumer contract

disputes.

Keywords

onlineconsumercontractdisputes,onlinedisputeresolution(ODR),HangzhouInternetcourt,onlinetrial process, online enforcement

23

Submitted: 5 Sept.2021; accepted: 27 Sept.2021;published:30 Sept.2021

ЭССЕ

РАЗРЕШЕНИЕ ОНЛАЙН СПОРОВ С УЧАСТИЕМ ПОТРЕБИТЕЛЕЙ: ОПЫТ КИТАЯ

ЦзяньинСан

УниверситетФрибура

1700,Швейцария,Фрибург,Авенюдёл’Ороп20

Аннотация

Пандемия COVID-19 самым серьезным образом повлияла на обычноетечение общественнойжизни и породила новые ранее неизвестные вызовы, связанные с увеличением объема отношений в онлайн среде. Увеличениечисламеждународныхонлайн-спороввызываетнеобходимостьпримененияИнтернет-техно- логий. Судебный процесс онлайн — процедура, специально разработанная для разрешения споров, вытекающих из отношений в цифровой среде — представляет собой идеальную альтернативутрадиционному судебному процессу. Такой порядок рассмотрения споровможет осуществляться посредством создания специальныхИнтернет-судов(кибер-судов).

На сегодняшний день пальма первенства в учреждении Интернет-судов принадлежит Китаю. Поэтому китайскийопытизбираетсяосновнойэмпирическойопоройисследования.

В эссе анализируется порядок разрешения споров онлайн на примере принятого регламента и судебных решений Интернет-суда г.Ханчжоу, вынесенных за последние годы. Особое внимание уделяется обстоятельствам, при которых онлайн-судебное решениеможетбыть признано и приведено в исполнение судебными органами иных государств. В заключение представлены рекомендации автора по дальнейшему развитию Интернет-судов для разрешения споров, возникающих из договоров с участием потреби-

телейвцифровомпространстве.

Ключевые слова

онлайндоговорысучастиемпотребителей,онлайн-урегулированиеспоров(ODR),ИнтернетсудХанчжоу, судебное разбирательствоонлайн,исполнениесудебныхактовонлайн

24