Who’s Afraid of Punitive Damages?

edited by Tobias Lutzi

Image coming soon

Extent: 230 pages

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Subjects: Law

Series: Beiträge zum ausländischen und internationalen Privatrecht

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(September 2025)

ISBN: 9783161634758

6.65 x 9.45 inches

Price: $119.00

In stock

What is the state of play for punitive damages and how are they treated around the world? The contributors to this volume discuss the hostility to punitive damages in civil law jurisdictions, their evolution in US law, and recent international developments to answer the question: ‘Who is (still) afraid of punitive damages?’


In 1992, the German Bundesgerichtshof held that it was ‘manifestly incompatible with essential principles of German law to enforce lump-sum punitive damages of a not inconsiderable amount in Germany.’ Whereas German courts have maintained this outright rejection of foreign punitive damages awards, many other jurisdictions have developed a more nuanced approach in recent years. Against this background, the contributors to this volume discuss the reasons for the general hostility to punitive damages in civil law jurisdictions, their evolution in US law, and recent developments in international law before looking more closely at six countries to answer the question: ‘Who is (Still) Afraid of Punitive Damages?’

  • Edited by Tobias Lutzi