Book excerpt: We are proud to present to our readers Czech Yearbook of International Law 2012, Volume 3. The overarching topic of this volume, Public Policy and Ordre Public turns its focus to the doctrine which is inherently connected with private international law, which is true only at first glance. The problem of Public Policy and Ordre Public is intertwined more deeply in the national legal orders than virtually any legal branch. However, the platform of private international law through which these doctrines emerge and find its strongest application is in the cross-border traffic of the court and extra-court decisions. In these relationships, the most important differences in understanding the extent and nature of these terms take shape. The third volume of the Czech Yearbook of International Law focuses on the uncovering of national differences and the comparison of such doctrines in a global perspective. CYIL 2012 takes into account the completely different connotations given to both doctrines in the United States and the Common Law countries in continental Europe. Institutions participating in the CYIL Project: Academic institutions within Czech Republic: - Masaryk University (Brno), Faculty of Law, Department of International and European Law. - University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, Faculty of Law, Department of Constitutional Law & Department of International Law. - VŠB-TU Ostrava, Faculty of Economics, Department of Law. - Department of European Law, Department of Commercial Law & Centre for Comparative Law of the Faculty of Law, Charles University. - University College of International and Public Relations Prague. - Institute of State and Law of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. Non-academic institutions in the Czech Republic - Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Department of Legislation, Prague. - Arbitration Court attached to the Economic Chamber of the Czech Republic and Agricultural Chamber of the Czech Republic, Prague. - ICC National Committee Czech Republic, Commission on Arbitration, Prague. Institutions outside Czech Republic participating in the CYIL Project: Austria University of Vienna, Department of European, International and Comparative Law, Section for International Law and International Relations. Poland Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Faculty of Law and Administration, Department of Private International Law. Slovak Republic Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of State and Law, Bratislava. University of Matej Bel in Banská Bystrica, Faculty of Political Sciences and International Relations, Department of International Affairs and Diplomacy. Trnava University in Trnava, Faculty of Law, Department of Labour Law and Social Security Law.