Laws, treaties and soft law
UNCITRAL group finalises draft code of conduct for arbitrators
UNCITRAL’s working group III has completed work on a draft code of conduct for arbitrators in investor-state disputes after reaching a compromise on double-hatting.
04 April 2023
Dutch investor turns to Latvian courts over animal fur ban
A Dutch investor says it will bring a €56 million claim against Latvia in the country’s courts over a ban on mink fur farming – deciding against pursuing an intra-EU bilateral investment treaty case.
27 March 2023
European states begin exit from ECT
France, Germany and Poland have formally given notice of their withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty.
24 March 2023
Germany denies ECT protections to Russian investors
Germany has invoked the Energy Charter Treaty’s denial of benefits clause in an apparent bid to forestall claims by Russian investors over measures taken in response to the war in Ukraine.
22 March 2023
India opens doors to foreign lawyers
In a long-awaited policy shift, the Bar Council of India has agreed to allow foreign lawyers and firms to practise foreign law in the country, including acting in international arbitrations.
15 March 2023
Latvia's lack of set-aside provisions ruled unconstitutional
Practitioners have welcomed a ruling by Latvia’s Constitutional Court directing the legislature to introduce a mechanism for the setting aside of awards, an omission that had made the Baltic state “a long-time outlier in the international community”.
15 March 2023
Greece passes new arbitration law
Greece has passed a new international arbitration statute that one practitioner involved in its drafting has described as the UNCITRAL Model Law “on steroids”.
08 March 2023
Russian court rules against Siemens in rail dispute
A Russian court has ruled that a Siemens entity must fulfil a billion-euro contract for high-speed trains after disapplying an Austrian arbitration agreement – as another German multinational fails to lift a freeze on its Russian assets.
01 March 2023
ICCA panel to draft disputes annex for Paris Agreement
Catherine Amirfar and Annette Magnusson are to chair a high-level ICCA panel that will develop and promote a draft annex on conciliation of disputes for the Paris Agreement and its parent treaty, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
24 February 2023
European Commission calls for exit from ECT
In a major policy U-turn, the European Commission has proposed a “coordinated withdrawal” of EU member states from the controversial Energy Charter Treaty after failing to muster enough support for a “modernised” version of the agreement.
09 February 2023