Expropriation in investment arbitration concerns two notions: (1) each State’s right to exercise sovereignty over its territory and (2) each State’s obligation to respect properties belonging to foreigners. The first means that a State may, in special circumstances, expropriate a foreign investor’s property. The second means that the expropriation of foreign-held properties will only be […]
Fair and Equitable Treatment in Investment Arbitration
Fair and equitable treatment is a prominent standard of protection in investment arbitration disputes, which is present in most bilateral investment treaties (“BITs”).[1] The standard has evolved in post-World War II treaties. The 1948 Havana Charter for an International Trade Organization is said to be the first treaty to include “just and equitable treatment” for […]
Moral Damages in Investment Arbitration
Under public international law, the right to claim moral damages is enshrined in Article 31(2) of the Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts pursuant to which the obligation of a State to make full reparation for the injury by the internationally wrongful act includes “any damage, whether material or moral”. The commentary […]
Denial of Justice in International Arbitration
Denial of justice in international arbitration concerns acts or omissions of a State’s judiciary for which a State may be internationally liable. Although the judiciary is a functionally independent body from a State’s executive and government, it is still a State’s organ. As a result, States may be held internationally liable for the acts and […]
Resolving Energy Disputes Through Arbitration
Energy projects are usually long, complex and require a substantial level of capital. Additionally, the sector has significant exposure to geological events, political changes and environmental regulations. For these reasons, disputes are common in the energy sector, and arbitration has become the preferred method of resolving these disputes, particularly at the international level.[1] As noted […]