Greenwashing has become a key target of regulators and climate activists alike, as they bring claims against companies who now face fines, litigation and potential brand damage for misrepresenting the environmental benefits of their products, services and policies. Regulators across the world have launched campaigns against greenwashing. In the US, prior to its recent disbandment,…
In general, arbitration laws do not make express provision for rules of evidence and institutional rules largely leave it to the arbitral tribunal to determine matters of evidence. It might, therefore, be thought uncontroversial to state that strict rules of evidence do not apply in arbitration proceedings. But while most practitioners would concede that arbitration…
In recent years, there has been a drive in the international arbitration community to further diversify the pool of professionals who work in international arbitration (arbitrators and counsel alike). Most recently, this has taken form in the publication of gender diversity statistics (see, e.g., the ICC’s dispute resolution statistics 2020 or the ICCA’s 2022 Gender…
As the oil and gas industry continues to mature, the number of mid-to-late life assets grows. A key challenge for the energy sector is how to effectively manage the decommissioning of these assets, especially those situated offshore. In Australia: decommissioning work is expected to be required for up to 65 offshore platforms by 2026, and…
An emerging consideration in international arbitration is the use of evidence acquired illegally. Illegally obtained evidence can take a variety of forms, including, for example, illicit recordings, information obtained by trespass, and ‘hacked evidence’. ‘Hacked evidence’ refers to materials obtained through unauthorised access to an electronic system (either directly or through a third party), and…
The Renewable Energy Target (RET), Australia’s key policy instrument for encouraging electricity generation from renewable sources, has been described as a policy hampered by politicisation. Notwithstanding such criticism, in 2019, it was reported that Australia’s energy system is undergoing the transition to renewables faster than any other country in the world.1)Blakers et al., (2019) “Pathway…
The availability and scope of ‘discovery’ or document production significantly differs across jurisdictions, most notably when comparing litigation in common law and civil law courts. In the field of international arbitration, the compromise position adopted by the International Bar Association’s Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration is to permit disclosure of documents…
Text books will tell you that, in its origins, the concept of arbitration as a method of resolving disputes was a simple one: two merchants, arguing over damaged merchandise, would settle their dispute by accepting the decision of a fellow merchant. And they would do so not because of any legal mandate, but because it…
