Re: Shoplifting, concealment, liability presumption

[Alan Mackenzie]

Hyman Rosen <hyrosen@mail.com> wrote:
> On 3/11/2010 3:26 AM, Alan Mackenzie wrote:
>> In the system I envisage, such wouldn't normally be necessary, except
>> in complicated cases.

> There is already small-claims court for very small cases.

Depends on where you are.  But your emphasis on "very" is apt for
anywhere I've lived.

> But generally both sides in a dispute will want the most able advocates
> they can get, and they will continue to want that no matter what system
> is in place to adjudicate disputes.

I disagree.  Generally, both sides in a dispute want the dispute settled
rapidly and cheaply enough that an adverse decision won't risk their
standard of living.

How cheap is cheap enough?  I'd say, say, 10% of the value of the claim.
Anything above that, the system's broken.  Rapidly enough?  Well, I can't
see why a typical case couldn't be resolved in ~6 weeks.  It was in times
past.

-- 
Alan Mackenzie (Nuremberg, Germany).