Arbitrator independence is always important, but a court in Malaysia has gone further than usual in convicting an arbitrator to prison for making a false statement of independence. A British arbitrator was sentenced to six months in prison for making a false declaration of independence, as reported by the Global Arbitration Review. According to the Malaysian […]
The Arbitrator’s Duty to Disclose in International Arbitration
The arbitrator’s duty to disclose potential conflicts of interest depends on the applicable law. The arbitrator, in France, is bound by a duty of sincerity towards the parties that can be seen on two levels, in a chronological manner. First, he must reveal all and any potential conflict of interests before accepting his or her […]
The Case of an Arbitrator Late Nomination under the 2012 ICC Rules
The case of an arbitrator late nomination is an unusual one under the ICC Rules. Under Article 12(4) of the 2012 ICC Rules, in the event that the parties have agreed upon a three-member tribunal, the claimant proceeds with the nomination of its co-arbitrator in the Request, and the respondent nominates its co-arbitrator in the […]
The Role of the Arbitral Tribunal Assistant in the Yukos Awards
When The Hague District Court annulled the Yukos awards on 20 April 2016 for a lack of a valid arbitration agreement, it did not consider it necessary to rule on the other grounds raised by the Russian Federation, in particular the argument that the Tribunal failed to personally fulfill its duty because of the alleged […]
International Arbitrator Immunity under UAE Law
International arbitrator immunity is typically provided for in domestic legal regimes. As noted by commentators, “almost all contemporary national arbitration regimes provide international arbitrators with expansive statutory or common law immunities from civil claims based on the performance of their adjudicative functions”[1] for the reason that “[Arbitrators] must of necessity be uninfluenced by any fear of consequences […]