Ondoua & Szymczak: La fonction consultative des juridictions internationales

Alain Ondoua & David Szymczak have published La fonction consultative des juridictions internationales (Pedone 2009). Here's the abstract:

Outre une fonction contentieuse qui constitue le coeur de leur office, les principales juridictions internationales à vocation universelle ou régionale se sont vues attribuer une fonction consultative complémentaire. Mais, tandis que la première faisait l'objet de toutes les attentions de la part de la doctrine, la seconde est demeurée peu abordée, reflétant une certaine méfiance du juriste à l'égard du thème des avis consultatifs. Une circonspection entretenue par le fait qu'entre les juridictions internationales qui, traditionnellement, n'utilisent pas ou peu leur compétence consultative et celles qui en font désormais un usage plus modeste que par le passé, l'avis consultatif apparaît à certains égards en perte de vitesse. Pour autant, la question est loin d'avoir perdu de son intérêt, comme le montrent les avis récents de la Cour internationale de justice ou celui rendu par la Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme en février 2008.

A travers l'étude des juridictions internationales à compétence consultative « réelle » (Cour internationale de justice, Cour de justice des Communautés européennes, Cour interaméricaine des droits de l'Homme) puis des juridictions internationales à compétence consultative « virtuelle » (Cour européenne des droits de l'Homme, Cour africaine des droits de l'Homme et des peuples, Tribunal international du droit de la mer), le présent ouvrage s'efforce d'apporter un éclairage transversal sur la question des avis. Quelle est la fonction de la procédure consultative, la force juridique des avis rendus par le juge international, pourquoi la procédure consultative est-elle aujourd'hui peu usitée, le sera-t-elle davantage à l'avenir quels sont les rapports (concurrence, complémentarité) qu'elle entretient avec la fonction contentieuse ? Enfin, existe-il un « modèle commun » de procédure consultative par-delà la diversité des juridictions internationales appelées à l'utiliser ? Autant de questions auxquelles les communications figurant dans cet ouvrage tentent d'apporter une réponse.

New Issue: Journal of International Arbitration

The latest issue of the Journal of International Arbitration (Vol. 26, no. 5, October 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Michael Hwang & Katie Chung, Defining the Indefinable: Practical Problems of Confidentiality in Arbitration
• Pietro Ferrario, The Group of Companies Doctrine in International Commercial Arbitration: Is There any Reason for this Doctrine to Exist?
• Rahim Moloo, Arbitrators Granting Antisuit Orders: When Should They and on What Authority?
• Steffen Hindelang, Stephan Wilske, & Ismail G. Esin, Turkey: Soon to Face a Wave of International Investment Arbitrations?
• Pierre-Yves Tschanz & Jorge E. Viñuales, Compensation for Non-expropriatory Breaches of International Investment Law—The Contribution of the Argentine Awards
• Yulia Chernykh, Arbitrability of Corporate Disputes in Ukraine

Lewis: Unrecognized Victims: Sexual Violence Against Men in Conflict Settings Under International Law

Dustin A. Lewis (Harvard Univ. - Program on Humanitarian Policy and Conflict Research) has posted Unrecognized Victims: Sexual Violence Against Men in Conflict Settings Under International Law (Wisconsin International Law Journal, vol. 27, no. 1, p. 1, 2009). Here's the abstract:

This article casts light on the international law aspects of a largely unrecognized occurrence in armed conflict: sexual violence against men. The article discusses causes and consequences of such violence, and assesses pertinent aspects of international law. The article argues that, to reduce and prevent sexual violence against men in conflict settings, international law should be interpreted, applied, and enforced in ways that delegitimize the prejudicial and discriminatory conceptions of gender, sex, and (homo)sexuality that often fuel such violence in the first place. Toward this aim, the article highlights why it is necessary to use a definition of sexual violence that encompasses, among other things, violence targeting an individual's imputed, perceived, or actual sexuality. In addition, the article provides a prosecution roadmap, sketching the conventional and jurisprudential standards for sexual violence to be prosecuted as a constituent element of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. The article concludes by suggesting two additional ways to enhance protection: treaty drafters should explicitly recognize men as a class of victims, and a postulated jus cogens norm should be expanded to include all forms of sexual violence against men, women, and children.

New Issue: Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration Mediation and Dispute Management

The latest issue of Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management (Vol. 75, no. 3, August 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Aisha Nader, Islamic finance: potential implications for dispute resolution
• Ayla Karmali, The influence of Sharia norms of dispute settlement and international law: the International Court of Justice, room for accommodation?
• David Altaras, The anti-suit injunction: historical overview
• Stuart Dutson & Mark Howarth, After West Tankers – rise of the ‘foreign torpedo’?
• Mark Beeley & Sarah Stockley, Spare the rod and spoil the party: how procedurally robust should a tribunal be?
• Kenneth Beale & Paolo Esposito, Emergent international attitudes towards bribery, corruption and money laundering
• Stephen Bickford Smith, Rent review arbitrators: legal challenges to awards and how to avoid them
• Fei Lan Fang, Enforcement of foreign awards in China: judicial attitudes
• Ann Brady, Mediation developments in civil and commercial matters within the European Union
• Grant Hannessian & Christopher Chinn, The US model for international class action arbitration
• Marwan Sakr, Incorporation by reference of the arbitration clause: recent Lebanese practice in a comparative context

Weiß: Kompetenzlehre internationaler Organisationen

Norman Weiß (Universität Potsdam - MenschenRechtsZentrum) has published Kompetenzlehre internationaler Organisationen (Springer 2009). Here's the abstract:

Internationale Organisationen sind zu wichtigen internationalen Akteuren geworden, die innerhalb der Völkerrechtsordnung agieren. Ihr Handeln beruht auf rechtlicher Grundlegung und bedarf rechtlicher Einhegung. Dies gilt um so eher, je mehr dieses Handeln in die Rechtsphäre von anderen Völkerrechtssubjekten und von Individuen einwirkt. Ausgehend von einer breit angelegten historischen Analyse entwickelt die Arbeit eine Kompetenzlehre internationaler Organisationen.

Call for Papers: Expert Workshop on the Responsibility of International Organizations

The American Society of International Law’s International Organizations Interest Group, Seton Hall Law School, and the Center on International Cooperation at New York University are co-sponsoring an Experts Workshop on the Responsibility of International Organizations to take place in New York, on October 30, 2009. Here's the call for papers:

Since 2000 the International Law Commission (ILC) has been working to codify, in a series of draft articles, the law on the responsibility of international organizations (IOs). This topic considers the nature of internationally wrongful acts committed by IOs. Can IOs violate international law in the same manner as states? If not, are they bound by a subset of the norms governing state conduct? This fall, the Sixth Committee of the UN will consider draft articles adopted on first reading on the responsibility of IOs.

The American Society of International Law’s International Organizations Interest Group, Seton Hall Law School, and the Center on International Cooperation at NYU, are co-sponsoring an Experts Workshop on the Responsibility of International Organizations to take place in New York, on October 30, 2009. We invite scholars writing in the area to submit works in progress to present at the meeting which will be attended by members of the International Law Commission, Diplomats involved in Sixth Committee negotiations, and academics. The experts’ workshop will address the following themes:

1. Whether and what sort of countermeasures are permissible against an IO that has committed an internationally wrongful act. (Draft Article 19)

2. The extent to which IOs share responsibility with their member states for acts taken pursuant to an IO's decision or recommendation. (Draft Article 5)

3. Whether the European Court of Human Rights' decision in the Behrami and Saramati case was correct. In that case the court held that acts by soldiers in KFOR and UNMIK were attributable to the UN and not the member states of which the soldiers were nationals.

4. Judicial review of the Responsibility of International Organizations.

The conference organizers are seeking a suitable venue for the publication of some of the papers presented at the workshop. If you are interested in being considered for participation, please send your proposal (indicating which substantive theme your paper addresses), a CV, and a draft of the paper, to Kristen Boon at Kristen.boon@shu.edu and Jacob Cogan at jacob.cogan@uc.edu by October 1, 2009. Due to limited funds, the conference organizers cannot pay the expenses of participants, although every effort will be made to award partial stipends where needed.

Inaugural Volume: Indian Journal of International Economic Law

The inaugural volume of the Indian Journal of International Economic Law (Vol. 1, 2008) is out. Contents include:

• Jagdish Bhagwati, Foreword
• Rafiqul Islam, Trade Liberalization under the WTO and Human Rights
• Fiona Smith, Law, Legitimacy and Language in Agriculture
• Faizel Smith, The G20 and the NAMA: Perspectives Revisited
• Stephania Bonilla & Rosa Castro Bernieri, Law and Economic Perspectives on Bilateral Investment Treaties in South America and India
• Rostam Neuwirth, The WTO and the Regional Coding System: Fragmentation of International Trade Law
• G.R. Bhatia, Abdullah Hussain, & Ravisekhar Nair, Competition Law in India: A Legal Quagmire

New Issue: Zeitschrift für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht

The latest issue of the Zeitschrift für ausländisches öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht (Vol. 69, no. 1, 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Frank Meyer, Habeas Corpus und Suspension Clause – Zur Rechtsprechung des U.S. Supreme Court zum Recht auf gerichtliche Überprüfung einer Internierung als “enemy combatant” in Guantánamo
• Armin von Bogdandy & Matthias Goldmann, Die Ausübung internationaler öffentlicher Gewalt durch Politikbewertung – Die PISA-Studie der OECD als Muster einer neuen völkerrechtlichen Handlungsform
• Katja Göcke, The 2008 Referendum on Greenland’s Autonomy and What It Means for Greenland’s Future

Ronen: Superior Responsibility of Civilians for International Crimes Committed in Civilian Settings

Yael Ronen (Hebrew Univ. - Minerva Center) has posted Superior Responsibility of Civilians for International Crimes Committed in Civilian Settings. Here's the abstract:

The article examines the notion of superior responsibility of civilians for international crimes committed in civilian settings. The doctrine of superior responsibility grew out of the military doctrine of command responsibility, and its evolution is informed by this origin. Jurisprudence and academic writers emphasize that the doctrine is also applicable to civilian superiors, but the discourse has invariably focused on civilian leaders of military or paramilitary organizations. Moreover, there has never been a detailed analysis of the doctrine’s relevance and applicability in civilian settings. The article argues that the claim that superior responsibility extends to civilians, and moreover to civilian settings, is inaccurate as a matter of a customary law. In judicial practice (including recent rulings), civilians have rarely been convicted under the doctrine even as leaders of military organizations, and when they have, this conviction was generally secondary to their direct responsibility. The article elaborates various challenges to the application of the doctrine in civilian settings, particularly in the determination of the existence of a superior-subordinate relationship. Despite the difficulties in transposing the doctrine to the civilian sphere, the article argues that as a matter of policy civilians should also be subject to the doctrine. It also argues that the normative distinctions between civilians and military superiors, today entrenched in Article 28 of the ICC Statute, is neither absolutely necessary nor practicable.

Van Harten: Policy Impacts of Investment Agreements for Andean Community States

Gus Van Harten (York Univ. - Osgoode Hall Law School) has posted Policy Impacts of Investment Agreements for Andean Community States. Here's the abstract:

This report examines the impact of certain investment agreements on government decision-making. Primarily, it examines the impact of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) concluded between European Community (EC) member states and Andean Community (CAP) states. Additionally, it examines the impact of the investment provisions of Economic Partnership Agreement. The analysis focuses on CAP states and, in some respects, on government decision-making in strategic sectors.

New Issue: Nordic Journal of International Law

The latest issue of the Nordic Journal of International Law (Vol. 78, no. 3, 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Michael Bogdan, Private International Law Aspects of the Introduction of Same-Sex Marriages in Sweden
• Hans Morten Haugen, Food Sovereignty An Appropriate Approach to Ensure the Right to Food?
• Md. Rizwanul Islam, Is the Doomsday of International Law Looming Around in the Twenty-First Century?: A Response to the Sceptics of Efficacy of International Law
• Patrik Johansson, The Humdrum Use of Ultimate Authority: Defining and Analysing Chapter VII Resolutions
• Nikolaos Lavranos, Judicial Review of UN Sanctions by the European Court of Justice
• David McKeever, The Contribution of the International Court of Justice to the Law on the Use of Force: Missed Opportunities or Unrealistic Expectations?
• Manisuli Ssenyonjo, The International Criminal Court and the Warrant of Arrest for Sudan's President Al-Bashir: A Crucial Step Towards Challenging Impunity or a Political Decision?

Van Harten: The Public-Private Distinction in the International Arbitration of Individual Claims Against the State

Gus Van Harten (York Univ. - Osgoode Hall Law School) has posted The Public-Private Distinction in the International Arbitration of Individual Claims Against the State. Here's the abstract:

Does the rise of international arbitration signify a retreat of the State from classical adjudication‘ In examining this question, it is important to distinguish contract-based arbitration of individual claims against the State from arbitration pursuant to investment treaties. The firmer is broadly limited to the private sphere of the State's activity, whereas the latter gives arbitrators a comprehensive jurisdiction over public law. An elaboration of this distinction, and the grey area within it, demonstrates that the significance of international arbitration for juridical sovereignty is its privatization of the authority to define the very concept of the public sphere.

New Issue: Review of International Organizations

The latest issue of the Review of International Organizations (Vol. 4, no. 3, September 2009) is out. Contents include:

• David A. Lake, Open economy politics: A critical review
• Niklas Potrafke, Does government ideology influence political alignment with the U.S.? An empirical analysis of voting in the UN General Assembly
• Timothy J. McKeown, How U.S. decision-makers assessed their control of multilateral organizations, 1957–1982
• Thijs Van de Graaf & Dries Lesage, The International Energy Agency after 35 years: Reform needs and institutional adaptability

Dunoff & Trachtman: Ruling the World?: Constitutionalism, International Law, and Global Governance

Jeffrey L. Dunoff (Temple Univ. - Law) & Joel P. Trachtman (Tufts Univ. - Fletcher School) have published Ruling the World?: Constitutionalism, International Law, and Global Governance (Cambridge Univ. Press 2009). Contents include:

• Jeffrey L. Dunoff & Joel P. Trachtman, A functional approach to global constitutionalism
• David Kennedy, The mystery of global governance
• Andreas Paulus, The international legal system as a constitution
• Michael Doyle, The UN charter – a global constitution?
• Bardo Fassbender, Rediscovering a forgotten constitution: notes on the place of the UN charter in the international legal order
• Neil Walker, Reframing EU constitutionalism
• Jeffrey L. Dunoff, The politics of international constitutions: the curious case of the WTO
• Joel P. Trachtman, Constitutional economics of the WTO
• Stephen Gardbaum, Human rights and international constitutionalism
• Mattias Kumm, The cosmopolitan turn in constitutionalism: on the relationship between national constitutional law and constitutionalism beyond the state
• Daniel Halberstam, Constitutional heterarchy: the centrality of conflict in the United States and Europe
• Miguel Poiares Maduro, Courts and pluralism: essay on a theory of judicial adjudication in the context of legal and constitutional pluralism
• Samantha Besson, Whose constitution(s)? International law, constitutionalism and democracy

New Issue: American Review of International Arbitration

The latest issue of the American Review of International Arbitration (Vol. 19, no. 1, 2008) is out. Contents include:

• Alan Scott Rau, Evidence and Discovery in American Arbitration: The Problem of “Third Parties”
• Daniel J. Rothstein, A Proposal to Clarify U.S. Law on Judicial Assistance in Taking Evidence for International Arbitration
• 1958 Report of the U.S. Delegation to the United Nations Conference on International Commercial Arbitration
• Richard W. Hulbert, Shades of Yesteryear: A Note on the 1958 U.S. Delegation Report on the New York Convention
• Yulia Andreeva, How Challenging Is the Challenge, or Can U.S. Courts Remove Arbitrators Before an Arbitration Has Come to an End?
• Reinmar Wolff, Judicial Assistance by German Courts in Aid of International Arbitration
• Koji Takahashi, Jurisdiction to Set Aside a Foreign Arbitral Award, in Particular an Award Based in an Illegal Contract: A Reflection on the Indian Supreme Court’s Decision in Venture Global Engineering
• Hans Smit, Annulment of an Arbitral Award and Its Subsequent Enforcement: Two Recent Decisions
• J.P. Duffy, Hall Street One Year Later: The Manifest Disregard Debate Continues

Simmons: Mobilizing for Human Rights: International Law in Domestic Politics

Beth A. Simmons (Harvard Univ. - Government) has published Mobilizing for Human Rights: International Law in Domestic Politics (Cambridge Univ. Press 2009). Here's the abstract:

This volume argues that international human rights law has made a positive contribution to the realization of human rights in much of the world. Although governments sometimes ratify human rights treaties, gambling that they will experience little pressure to comply with them, this is not typically the case. Focusing on rights stakeholders rather than the United Nations or state pressure, Beth Simmons demonstrates through a combination of statistical analyses and case studies that the ratification of treaties leads to better rights practices on average. By several measures, civil and political rights, women’s rights, a right not to be tortured in government detention, and children’s rights improve, especially in the very large heterogeneous set of countries that are neither stable autocracies nor stable democracies. Simmons argues that international human rights law should get more practical and rhetorical support from the international community as a supplement to broader efforts to address conflict, development, and democratization.

BIICL: The ICRC and the Geneva Conventions

François Bugnion (formerly, Director of International Law and Cooperation, International Committee of the Red Cross) will speak today at the British Institute of International and Comparative Law on "The ICRC and the Geneva Conventions." This is the first in a series of seminars on the Geneva Conventions of 1949 in celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of their adoption.

New Issue: Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration Mediation and Dispute Management

The latest issue of Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management (Vol. 75, no. 2, May 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Raghar Sharma, Sanctity of foreign awards: recent developments in India
• Jane Wessel & Peter Eyre, US discovery in aid of foreign or international proceedings: recent developments relating to Title 28 US Code Section 1782
• Michael Davison & Nowak Lucja, International arbitration: how can it deliver on its promise?
• Lord Woolf, Mediation in arbitration in the pursuit of justice
• Anthony Evans, Forget ADR! Think A or D
• Karl-Heinz Böckstiegel, Past, present and future perspectives of arbitration
• Doug Jones, Dealing with a multi-tiered dispute resolution process
• Richard Kreindler, Arbitrating with different legal traditions: civil law
• Dato Cecil Abraham, Arbitration of investment disputes: a Malaysian perspective
• Mohamed Ismail Mohamed Shariff, Specific issues in Islamic dispute resolution
• Mark Hoyle, Specific issues in Islamic dispute resolution
• Rashda Rana, Is adjudication killing arbitration?
• Bruce Harris, Maritime disputes: now and in the future
• John Tackaberry, Adjudication and arbitration: the when and why in construction disputes
• Andrew Berkeley, The changing political environment for investment agreements
• Don McKinnon, Can good offices assist in relation to resource nationalism?
• Thomas Mensah, The potential role of good offices
• David Branson, Do established international dispute resolution bodies have a role?
• Johan Gernandt, Resolving disputes between resource-rich and consuming countries

New Issue: Revue trimestrielle des droits de l'homme

The latest issue of the Revue trimestrielle des droits de l'homme (No. 79, 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Frédéric Sudre, Le mystère des " apparences " dans la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme
• Elisabeth Lambert-Abdelgawad, L’exécution des arrêts de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme (2008)
• Caroline Picheral, Hélène Surrel, Christophe Maubernard, Laure Milano, Romain Tinière, & Katarzina Grabarczyk, Droit communautaire des droits fondamentaux - Chronique de la jurisprudence de la Cour de justice des Communautés européennes (2008)
• Michel Puéchavy, La peine de mort aux Etats-Unis et au Japon - Derniers développements
• Gérard Niyungeko, La Cour africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples : défis et perspectives
• Idris Fassassi, L’examen périodique universel devant le Conseil des droits de l’homme des Nations unies

Matheson: Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission: Damage Awards

Michael J. Matheson (George Washington Univ. - Law) has posted an ASIL Insight on Eritrea-Ethiopia Claims Commission: Damage Awards.

Job Opening: Loyola University Chicago (Chair)

Loyola University Chicago School of Law is seeking to fill the Wing-Tat Lee Chair in International Law. Here's the advertisement:

Loyola University Chicago School of Law, a well established urban Jesuit law school is currently seeking candidates to fill its recently vacated chair in international law named in honor of Hong Kong businessman Wing-Tat Lee.

This twelve month position will entail an appointment to an endowed chair to be made at the level of full Professor of Law.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The responsibilities of the Wing-Tat Lee Chair include:

1) Scholarly research and publication

2) Teaching courses in international law and related areas of individual expertise, both in Chicago and in overseas programs

3) Participation in faculty governance

4) Active involvement in student mentoring and counseling

5) Engagement with faculty on international law matters both within the School of Law and throughout the University

6) Together with other chairs and senior faculty, providing leadership for integrative research activities

7) Significant engagement with academic institutions and professional organizations in international law, including frequent participation in meetings and symposia

JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

The qualifications required for the Wing-Tat Lee chair are:

1) Juris Doctor (J.D.) and/or Ph.D. in Law, LL.B.

2) Broad recognition for scholarly distinction in a recognized area of public or private international law

3) Established publication record in an international law specialty

4) Clearly developed long term research agenda

5) Extensive teaching experience

Additional valued qualifications include:

1) Significant practice experience in international law

2) Facility with relevant foreign languages

3) Strong commitment to social justice issues

4) History of active engagement in international law circles

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Interested candidates should submit an application including:

1) A letter of interest highlighting experiences and accomplishments relevant to the position

2) A current curriculum vitae

3) Names of and contact information regarding three professional references

For further inquiries, please email: Jblum@luc.edu. Please be specific in email Subject: Wing Tat Lee Chair.

Review of applications will begin in the fall and continue until the position is filled. Search committee members, Dean Michael Kaufman, Professors James Carey, Margaret Moses, Steven Ramirez and Alex Tsesis.

For further information about Loyola University Chicago, consult: http://www.LUC.edu

Loyola University Chicago, is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer with a strong commitment to diversifying its faculty.

Posner: The Perils of Global Legalism

Eric A. Posner (Univ. of Chicago - Law) has published The Perils of Global Legalism (Univ. of Chicago Press 2009). Here's the abstract:

The first months of the Obama administration have led to expectations, both in the United States and abroad, that in the coming years America will increasingly promote the international rule of law—a position that many believe is both ethically necessary and in the nation’s best interests.

With The Perils of Global Legalism, Eric A. Posner explains that such views demonstrate a dangerously naive tendency toward legalism—an idealistic belief that law can be effective even in the absence of legitimate institutions of governance. After tracing the historical roots of the concept, Posner carefully lays out the many illusions—such as universalism, sovereign equality, and the possibility of disinterested judgment by politically unaccountable officials—on which the legalistic view is founded. Drawing on such examples as NATO’s invasion of Serbia, attempts to ban the use of land mines, and the free-trade provisions of the WTO, Posner demonstrates throughout that the weaknesses of international law confound legalist ambitions—and that whatever their professed commitments, all nations stand ready to dispense with international agreements when it suits their short- or long-term interests.

Provocative and sure to be controversial, The Perils of Global Legalism will serve as a wake-up call for those who view global legalism as a panacea—and a reminder that international relations in a brutal world allow no room for illusions.

Conference: India-United States Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (Update)

I previously noted that the University of Reading, in association with Ambedkar Law University, Chennai, will hold a workshop on September 14, 2009, to examine various issues arising from the India-United States Nuclear Cooperation Agreement (123 Agreement). Here's the schedule:

8.30-9.00 Registration/coffee

9.00-9.15 Welcome: R. Barnidge / N. Manohar

9.15-10.45 Session 1: Introduction

Chair: S. Sachidhanandam, Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai

S. Gopalan, University of Reading - Title TBC - paper “on the agreement’s design and potential problems arising from incongruent interests”

C. Braun, Stanford University - The Relative Role of Breeders vs. ALWRs in India’s and U.S.’s Perceptions of the 123 Agreement, Before and After Passage

10.45-11.00 Coffee

11.00-12.30 Session 2: Legal Issues

Chair: N. Manohar, Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai

S. Ranganathan, Cambridge University - The India-US Nuclear Deal, the Non-Proliferation Treaty and Nuclear Governance: The Dynamic Architecture of International Law: Treaty Conflict & Accommodation

J. Müller, Georg-August University, Göttingen - The Signing of the US-India Agreement Concerning Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy

S. Amirthalingam, Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai - Compliance Regime Under US-India Nuclear Deal Focus Paper on Energy Crisis and Environmental Issues

12.30-13.30 Lunch

13.30-15.00 Session 3: Implications of the 123 Agreement for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

Chair: R. Barnidge, University of Reading

C. Kuppuswamy, University of Sheffield - Is It Time to Replace the Old Regime? The Impact of Civilian Nuclear Energy Agreement on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

D. Griffiths, Foreign & Commonwealth Office - The UK Government’s Position on the 123 Agreement

15.00-15.15 Coffee

15.15-16.45 Session 4: Theoretical Perspectives

Chair: A. Thies, University of Reading

R. Akhtar, Fatima Jinnah Women University, Rawalpindi - The Ontology of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime: A ‘Systemic View’ of the Indo-US Nuclear Deal

M. Lieberman, Steptoe & Johnson LLP - Full Scope: International Norms and Export Control Cooperation Under the U.S.-India Nuclear Agreement

16.45-19.00 Break

19.00 Dinner (where pre-booked or by invitation)

Burke-White & von Staden: Private Litigation in a Public Law Sphere: The Standard of Review in Investor-State Arbitrations

William W. Burke-White (Univ. of Pennsylvania - Law) & Andreas von Staden (Princeton Univ. - Woodrow Wilson School) have posted Private Litigation in a Public Law Sphere: The Standard of Review in Investor-State Arbitrations. Here's the abstract:

International arbitration and, particularly, investor-state arbitration is rapidly shifting to include disputes of a public law nature. Yet, arbitral tribunals continue to apply standards of review derived from the private law origins of international arbitration, have not recognized the new public law context of these disputes, and have failed to develop a coherent jurisprudence with regard to the applicable standard for reviewing a state's public regulatory activities. This problematic approach is evidenced by a recent series of cases brought by foreign investors against Argentina challenging the economic recovery program launched after a massive financial collapse and has called into question the legitimacy of investor-state arbitration more generally. A comparative analysis of public law standards of review from both other international courts and the domestic systems of the U.S. and Germany demonstrates that arbitral tribunals have a variety of standards of review from which they could borrow to develop a coherent jurisprudence. While any consistently applied public law standard of review that recognizes the competing public interests at stake in this new form of international arbitration would be preferable to the status quo, we argue that for reasons of institutional capacity, expertise, and embeddedness, the margin of appreciation as developed by the European Court of Human Rights may offer the best path forward. The consistent application of a margin of appreciation when reviewing public law regulatory activities of states would allow arbitral tribunals to grant appropriate deference to national authorities while simultaneously protecting investor rights, thereby helping to close the growing legitimacy gap in investor-state arbitration.

Kingsbury & Schill: Investor-State Arbitration as Governance: Fair and Equitable Treatment, Proportionality and the Emerging Global Administrative Law

Benedict Kingsbury (New York Univ. - Law) & Stephan W. Schill have posted Investor-State Arbitration as Governance: Fair and Equitable Treatment, Proportionality and the Emerging Global Administrative Law. Here's the abstract:

Investor-State arbitration is not only a mechanism to settle disputes between an investor and a State arising out of an investment, it is also a form of global governance that involves the exercise of power by arbitral tribunals in the global administrative space. In setting standards for State conduct vis-à-vis foreign investors, for example in defining what is improper administration or a violation of due process under fair and equitable treatment, tribunals set standards which may influence future conduct by the respondent State and other States, and will very likely influence the decision-making of tribunals in other cases. In settling disputes between investors and States, the tribunals also act as pre-agreed review agencies of a State’s specific actions, in some cases applying proportionality analysis or other tools of public law review when confronted with difficult balances between investor protection and the State’s environmental or economic policy choices in the wider public interest. In these respects, investor-State arbitration forms part of a governance structure, and helps constitute and shape the emerging body of global administrative law. At the same time, this regulatory activity of arbitral tribunals attracts significant criticism, not only of specific decisions but with regard to the legitimacy of the decision-making powers of these tribunals as such. This paper argues that these concerns can be addressed, at least in part, by application of principles of the emerging global administrative law to, and by, these tribunals.