Laws, treaties and soft law
Norway and Latvia move to terminate BIT
As oral hearings take place in a €400 million snow-crab fishing dispute under the Latvia-Norway bilateral investment treaty, the two states have moved to terminate the BIT and its ten-year sunset clause.
10 November 2022
UK eases legal fee rules for sanctioned Russians
UK financial sanctions agency OFSI has simplified the process for lawyers accepting payments from clients on Russian and Belarusian sanctions lists.
01 November 2022
France joins rush to exit ECT
France is the latest European country to announce it is pulling out of the Energy Charter Treaty because of environmental concerns, following similar moves by the Netherlands and Spain.
24 October 2022
Netherlands moves to quit Energy Charter Treaty
The Dutch government has followed Spain and Poland in announcing plans to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty, while other European states are reportedly considering abstaining from a vote next month on reforms to the treaty.
19 October 2022
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it: the English Arbitration Act and confidentiality
Zoe O’Sullivan KC, barrister and arbitrator at Serle Court in London, argues that the Law Commission’s provisional conclusion not to adopt a statutory code of confidentiality in the English Arbitration Act is pragmatic and sensible.
18 October 2022
LCIA gets exemption from Russia and Belarus sanctions
The London Court of International Arbitration has been granted a general licence allowing it to process payments from parties subject to the UK’s recent financial sanctions against Russia and Belarus to cover their arbitration costs.
17 October 2022
Singapore's plans unmasked in interview with minister
On the day that Singaporeans were permitted to unmask inside for the first time since the pandemic, Lucy Reed interviewed Singapore's minister of home affairs and minister for law K Shanmugam SC about the city-state's future as a leading arbitration centre.
14 October 2022
Spain announces withdrawal from ECT
Spain says it is withdrawing from the Energy Charter Treaty because of climate concerns, a week after the lower chamber of Poland’s parliament voted near-unanimously to exit the treaty.
13 October 2022
“Zero legitimacy”: investment court under fire at ICCA
A session on ISDS reform at the ICCA Congress heard criticism of plans for a multilateral investment court and shed light on recent discussions at UNCITRAL, including a “rebellion” by some developed states against a proposal to curb double hatting.
26 September 2022
EU parliament calls for regulation of third-party funding
The European Parliament has called for regulation of third-party funders, including a potential 40% cap on their share of recovery, an obligation to pay adverse costs, and disclosure of funding agreements.
23 September 2022