In 1992, the Section on Business Law of the International Bar Association established a Task Force on Economic Consequences of Litigation Worldwide to study and report on the different civil- and commercial-court systems throughout the world. The purpose of the Task Force was to evaluate the problems of civil litigation and propose solutions on a global scale, based on a comparative analysis of different jurisdictions, with a particular focus on commercial litigation and the economic consequences of litigation for worldwide business. The Task Force included representatives from the Asia Pacific region, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States. The project was divided into three stages: fundamentals of commercial litigation, problems and consequences, and solutions and proposals for change. Arising from six years of study and effort by the Task Force, this book includes chapters on the Asia Pacific region (Australia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore), Canada, Europe (Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland), the United Kingdom and the United States. The book provides a study of the various court systems throughout the world, and problems and consequences of commercial litigation, together with analysis of proposed solutions.