China held its first Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) conference in Beijing this week on August 20, 2013. A highlight of the event was a lecture by Michael Xuhui Fang, Professor of Law at Nanchang University on “the International Development of Online Dispute Resolution and its impact on China”. This lecture was on behalf of the professional committee of International Investment and International Trade of Beijing Lawyers Association. The lecture mainly introduced the ODR development in British Columbia, Canada, including the Civil Resolution Tribunal Act of that proposes to incorporate ODR tools, BC’s Property Assessment Appeal Board’s ODR Platform, Consumer Protection BC’s ODR program and Smartsettle’s eNegotiation System. Through the videos, Darin Thompson from the BC Ministry of Justice, and Colin Rule from Modria, gave personal short presentations that seemed to afford simultaneous, live interaction between the Chinese lawyers and presenters. Darin entertained the attendees by speaking Mandarin. Michael Fang also introduced the 12th annual ODR conference that was held in Montreal in June 2013. This lecture was considered as the part of continuing legal education courses offered by Beijing Lawyers Association. The Practicing lawyers shall complete a minimum of forty (40) credit hours of approved continuing legal education courses, of which at least sixteen (16) hours shall be completed in the traditional live on-site programs.
