Competence-Competence

Australia, Bifurcation of proceedings, Challenge of Arbitral Award, Competence-Competence, Interim Award, Jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunal

(Level Twenty Seven Chambers) and / /Leave a comment
ACICA 45

Can an arbitral tribunal revisit issues of liability after rendering an interim award in bifurcated proceedings? This was the question put to the High Court of Australia (the “Court”) in CBI Constructors Pty Ltd & Anor v Chevron Australia Pty Ltd [2024] HCA 28. In a judgment considering the concepts of finality and functus officio…

Ad hoc arbitration, Arbitration Agreement, China, Competence-Competence, Interim measures, PRC, Seat of the arbitration, Validity

, (Hui Zhong Law Firm)/ /1 Comment

On November 8, 2024, the Standing Committee of the 14th National People’s Congress released for public comment the draft amendment to the PRC Arbitration Law (“2024 Draft”) after its first review during the Twelfth Session meeting. The 2024 Draft version generated immediate and widespread concerns and criticism. In stark contrast to the draft amendment released…

Admissibility, Competence-Competence, Fiji, Jurisdiction, Multi-tiered clauses, Pre-arbitral procedure, Repudiation

(Munro Leys)/ /Leave a comment

This article discusses the approach taken by the High Court of Fiji (“Court”) on the oft written about topic of whether failure to adhere to a multi-tiered dispute resolution clause is an issue of jurisdiction or admissibility. As previously reported, last year, in Housing Authority v Top Symphony [2023] FJHC 301 (“Top Symphony”), the Court…

Competence-Competence

(Twenty Essex)/ /Leave a comment

On a theoretical level, the ultimate source of an arbitral tribunal’s jurisdiction is the parties’ consent to refer disputes to arbitration. The source of authority of individual members of a tribunal to exercise that jurisdiction is more nuanced – especially where, in default of agreement on a tribunal, the national court makes the necessary appointments….

Competence-Competence, England, English Arbitration Act, Jurisdiction

(Khan Saifur Rahman & Associates)/ /Leave a comment

The UK Law Commission recently proposed drastic reform to section 67 of the English Arbitration Act 1996 that deals with the challenge of an award on the ground of lack of substantive jurisdiction in an English seated arbitration. The Law Commission’s First Consultation Paper published in September 2022 initially recommended the challenge under section 67…

Arbitration Agreement, Australia, Competence-Competence, Jurisdiction of the arbitral tribunal, kompetenz-kompetenz

(Victorian Bar)/ /Leave a comment

Under the UNCITRAL Model Law and the laws of many ‘arbitration friendly’ jurisdictions, courts must refer a matter subject to a valid and operative arbitration agreement to arbitration if requested by a party within the relevant time period. The principle of kompetenz-kompetenz prescribes that an arbitral tribunal may determine its own jurisdiction (which necessarily includes…

Chile, Competence-Competence, International agreement, Latin America, Party autonomy

, , (Jana & Gil Dispute Resolution)/ /Leave a comment

On December 20, 2022, Chile’s Supreme Court issued a ruling that has been praised by the arbitral community for its pro-arbitration stance in the face of an apparently pathological arbitration clause. In its decision, the highest court of Chile lent decisive support to key international arbitration principles, such as party autonomy, domestic minimum intervention and…

Adhesion Contracts, Brazil, Brazilian Superior Court of Justice, Competence-Competence, Enforcement of arbitration agreement, Pathological arbitration agreement

(Centro Brasileiro de Mediação e Arbitragem)/ /Leave a comment

This article addresses the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice (STJ) ‘s precedents on the exceptions to the Competence-Competence principle due to pathological arbitration agreements present in contracts of adhesion. In addition, it approaches the Court’s position on the enforcement of a pathological (empty) arbitration clause. The decisions below are landmark precedents and clarify crucial points…

Arbitrability, Canada, Competence-Competence, Multi-tiered clauses, Separability

(Woods LLP)/ /Leave a comment

Aircraft seizures tend to come up at the enforcement stage, oftentimes in relation to investment arbitration awards (see, e.g., proceedings against Tanzania or Equatorial Guinea). In Specter Aviation v. Laprade, however, the seizure of the Beechcraft Super King Air 300 (the “Aircraft”) is what triggered proceedings before the courts of the Canadian province of Québec,…

Arbitrability, Brazilian Superior Court of Justice, Challenge of Arbitral Award, Competence-Competence, Malicious prosecution

, , (Centro Brasileiro de Mediação e Arbitragem)/ /Leave a comment

On November 3, 2021, a decision rendered by the Third Panel of the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice in the Special Appeal No. 1.953.212-RJ (OSX Construção Naval v. AGF Engenharia) was published under the opinion of Minister Nancy Andrighi. The decision addresses relevant issues for arbitration in Brazil and demonstrates the support given by Brazilian…