The book provides a comprehensive and in depth guide to the regulatory framework in Singapore, the first of its kind for the foremost jurisdiction for international arbitration in the Asia-Pacific geographic zone. It is designed with practitioners in mind and provides terse and specific but detailed and well-informed commentary to each of the sections in the applicable arbitration acts. The book sets out and annotates the two legislative acts applicable to arbitration in Singapore, as well as the Singapore International Arbitration Centre Rules. It also contains a few international documents including the Uncitral Model Law and the New York Convention.
Because document production can discover written evidence that would otherwise not be available, it is often the key to winning a case. However, document production proceedings can be a costly and time-consuming exercise, and arbitral awards in particular are often challenged on grounds that relate to document production orders. The task of balancing the conflicting interests of the parties in this context is a major responsibility of arbitral tribunals. This book's analysis focuses on whether there exist legal principles on which arbitrators should establish rules of document production in both civil law and common law countries, and shows how international arbitration is affected. The author examines the relevant discretion of arbitral tribunals under US, English, Swiss, German, and Austrian law, and under nine of the most important sets of institutional rules, including the ICC Rules, the LCIA Rules, and the Swiss Rules. The presentation mines case law and legal literature for concepts based on the common expectations of the parties, the legitimate expectations of a party, the duty to balance different procedural expectations of the parties, the presumed intent of the parties, the underlying hypothetical bargain, implied terms, and the arbitrators' discretion. Among the topics and issues investigated are the following: - procedural rules on document production versus procedural flexibility; - how arbitral tribunals can modify the IBA Rules on a case-by-case basis; - discretion granted by legislation in each country covered; - electronic document production; - how to deal with privilege and confidentiality objections; - how to formulate or answer document production requests; - effective sanctions in case of non-compliance with procedural orders of the arbitral tribunal; - what grounds for annulment and non-enforcement a losing party can raise in what countries. Perhaps the greatest benefit of the book is the inclusion of model clauses, commensurate with both civil law and common law expectations. The author explicates the advantages and inconveniences of each model clause, and clarifies the influence of each clause on the efficiency of the proceedings and the enforcement risk. For practitioners, the book not only gives counsel a thorough overview of possible arguments for and against document production, but also assists arbitrators find a way through the jungle of opinions on the interpretation of the IBA Rules. Legal academics will appreciate the author's deeply informed analysis and commentary and the book's contribution to increasing the predictability of arbitral decisions on document production and showing how issues in dispute can be narrowed by tailor-made rules, thus helping to raise the efficiency and reduce the costs of arbitral proceedings.
This is the first text to provide a comprehensive rule-by-rule commentary of the inception, interpretation, and application of the SIAC Rules, written by practitioners with extensive experience in South East Asia arbitrations. Practical and strategic in approach, this book provides useful guidance for practitioners whilst also delivering commentary and thematic analysis to highlight the connections between the SIAC rules and those of other institutions. The book begins with an introduction to Singapore arbitration, both practical and legal, and is followed by an overview of SIAC arbitration, including the different stages of a typical case and the corporate structure of SIAC. Every rule is then examined in detail on a thematic basis, starting with the commencement of an arbitration and working up to and including the rendering of an award and the determination of costs. This new edition has been fully updated to include the 2016 SIAC Rules, and also contains additional chapters on the new rules on multiple contracts, consolidation, and joinder, the early dismissal of claims and defences, and the SIAC Investment Arbitration Rules (2017). Relevant supporting documents are appended, including SIAC Practice Notes and the SIAC Code of Ethics for Arbitrators. This book stands alone as a comprehensive exposition of SIAC arbitration, and is indispensable for any practitioner involved in arbitration in Asia.
International Arbitration Law Library Volume 59 The eastward shift in international dispute resolution has already involved initiatives not only to improve support for international commercial arbitration (ICA) and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) but also to develop alternatives such as international commercial courts and mediation. Focusing on these initiatives and their accompanying case law and trends in the Asia-Pacific region, this invaluable book challenges existing procedures and frameworks for cross-border dispute resolution in both commercial and treaty arbitration. Specially assembled for this project, an outstanding team of experienced and insightful arbitrators and scholars describes pertinent developments including: ICA and ISDS in the context of China’s Belt and Road Initiative; the Singapore Convention on Mediation; the shift to virtual hearings and other challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic; mistrust of the application of the rule of law in certain East Asian jurisdictions; growing public concern over ISDS arbitration; tensions between confidentiality and transparency; and potential regional harmonisation of the public policy exception to arbitral enforcement. The contributors chart evolving practices and high-profile cases to make informed observations about where changes are needed, as well as educated guesses about the chances of reforms being successful and the consequences if they are not. The main jurisdictions covered are China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, India, Australia and Singapore. The first in-depth study of recent trends in dispute resolution practice related to business in the Asia-Pacific region, the book’s practical analysis of new resources for dealing with the increasing competition among countries to become credible regional dispute resolution hubs will prove to be of great value to specialists in the international business law sector. Lawyers will be enabled to make informed decisions on which venue and dispute resolution methods are the most suitable for any specific dispute in the region, and policymakers will confidently assess emerging trends in international dispute resolution policy development and treaty-making.
India has a long-standing tradition of dispute resolution through arbitration, with arbitral-type regulations going back to the eighteenth century. Today, amendments to the 1996 Indian Arbitration Act, a steady evolution of case law and new arbitral institutions position India’s vibrant system once more at the forefront of international commercial dispute resolution. In this handbook, over forty members of the international arbitration community in India and beyond offer authoritative perspectives and insights into topics on arbitration that matter in India. International arbitration practitioners, Indian practitioners, and scholars have combined efforts to produce a practical and informative guide on the subject. Among numerous notable features, the contributors provide detailed analysis and description of such aspects of arbitration as the following, with a focus on the Indian context: Indian application of the 1958 New York Convention; law governing the merits of the dispute and awards; investor-state dispute settlement; drafting arbitration clauses for India-centric agreements; managing costs and time; rise of virtual arbitration and technology; effect of public policy in light of extensive Indian jurisprudence; and arbitration of claims relating to environmental damage. Practical features include checklists for drafting arbitration clauses and a comparative chart of major commercial arbitration rules applicable to India. Also included is a comparative analysis of arbitral regimes in India, Singapore and England; chapters on the India Model Bilateral Investment Treaty and ISDS reforms; a special section on the enforcement of foreign awards; a section on the drafting of the award guided by leading arbitrators and stakeholders and a review of the new 2021 ICC Rules. For foreign counsel and arbitrators with arbitrations in India, this complete and up-to-date analysis provides guidelines for practitioners, corporate counsel, and judges on considerations to be borne in mind with respect to arbitration with an Indian nexus and whilst seeking enforcement and execution of an arbitral award in India. It will prove an effective tool for students and others in understanding and navigating the particularities and peculiarities of India’s system of domestic and international commercial arbitration.
Theory, Law and Practice of Maritime Arbitration The Case of International Contracts for the Carriage of Goods by Sea Eva Litina It is estimated that over 80% of global trade by volume is carried by sea, making maritime transport a cornerstone of the global economy. Most disputes in the shipping industry are settled by distinctive, private arbitral proceedings that are best understood by a close examination of the standard form contracts that are used in practice and of the case law arising therefrom. Extrapolating insightfully from these sources, the author of this book examines in depth the phenomenon of maritime arbitration with a specific focus on contracts for the carriage of goods by sea. She offers the first comprehensive and comparative analysis of arbitral practice in the three jurisdictions where the most frequently selected maritime arbitral seats are located: London, New York, and Singapore. An analysis of the applicable rules and relevant case law in each jurisdiction provides the basis from which a comparative assessment of maritime arbitral seats is achieved. The book addresses the following key aspects of maritime arbitration: maritime arbitration’s definition, origins, theoretical underpinnings, socioeconomic context, and significance; the maritime-specific reasons for wide use of ad hoc versus institutional arbitration; the international instruments governing arbitration in contracts for the carriage of goods by sea; the shipping industry’s pursuit of self-regulation via standard form contracts; the arbitration agreement contained in standard form charterparties and bills of lading; maritime arbitration’s unique approach to judicial review, confidentiality, and arbitrator impartiality; the specific dispute resolution objectives that compel a comparative assessment of maritime arbitral seats; and the future of maritime arbitration in light of international political, financial, and technological developments. In addition to the three main maritime arbitral seats, the analysis touches on maritime arbitration in other relevant jurisdictions, such as Hong Kong, Greece, Japan, and Korea, thus affording a comparison of the process in common and civil law jurisdictions. The book concludes by considering the potential impact of the current international political landscape, and suggesting future perspectives and research in international maritime arbitration. An important addition to scholarship in this field of law, the book’s thorough assessment of the merits of the competing maritime arbitral seats—and its specific focus on maritime disputes—will prove of significant importance to arbitrators, law firms, in-house counsel of shipping companies, international organizations, and arbitration institutions and associations. Practitioners will discover all tools necessary to examine any case before the main maritime arbitral seats with full awareness of each applicable legal regime and its distinguishing features.
