composition of ad hoc committees implications nicolas angelet

Composition of ad hoc CommitteesImplications

Nicolas Angelet

I. Policy Issues

A. International and Institutional Proceedings

• No party appointments (Article 52.3)• In lieu of domestic control (Article 54)

→ Legitimacy towards State Parties

→ Avoid (perceived) domestic or ‘partisan’ influences

I. Policy IssuesB. Annulment proceedings

• Open-ended grounds • Directed against award = potentially affecting

the arbitrators (cf. Article 52.3)

→ Legitimacy towards State Parties : avoid domestic or ‘partisan’ positions

→ Fairness towards the arbitrators : maximize coherence = legal certainty

II. Familiarity with the legal system involved in the dispute?

A. Broches et al.:

“the requirement of familiarity with the legal system(s) involved may present another obstacle” to continuity in the composition of the Committees

II. Familiarity with the legal system involved in the dispute?

• Not in line with:

– Annulment as a substitute for domestic control, i.e., unrelated to the legal system involved in the dispute

– Annulment as distinguished from appeal

– Need to enhance coherence

III. Committee Members more experienced than the Arbitrators?

Pierre Lalive:

“.. the choice of committee members has not always been made … among more experienced people, than that of the arbitrators ..”

III. Committee Members more experienced than the Arbitrators?

• Fairness towards the arbitrators and possibly legitimacy towards State parties

• Unrelated to coherence

• Arbitrators’ authority often cannot be outclassed

• Experience in what? ICSID arbitration, ICSID annulment proceedings, domestic proceedings directed against arbitral awards

IV. Int’l and Domestic Lawyers Different Legal Cultures

• Public international lawyers:

– Advantages: • grounds for annulment as treaty law• public international law issues raised under

a ground of annulment • safeguarding proceedings against domestic

influences

– Limits: few public international lawyers experienced in proceedings against arbitral awards

IV. Int’l and Domestic Lawyers Different Legal Cultures

• Domestic Lawyers:

– Advantages : larger number with relevant experience

– Limits: risk of undue domestic influences – compensation through representation of different legal cultures

IV. International and Domestic Lawyers 2000 - Present

Philippe Gruslin v. MalaysiaDate Registered: December 19, 2000Composition:President: Thomas BUERGENTHAL (U.S.)Members: Kamal HOSSAIN (Bangladeshi)Gabrielle KAUFMANN-KOHLER (Swiss)

WHL v. EgyptDate Registered: January 24, 2001Composition:President: Konstantinos D. KERAMEUS (Greek)Members: Andreas BUCHER (Swiss)Francisco ORREGO VICUÑA (Chilean)

CAA S.A. and VU v. ArgentinaDate Registered: March 23, 2001Composition:President: L. Yves FORTIER (Canadian)Members: James R. CRAWFORD (Australian)José Carlos FERNÁNDEZ ROZAS (Spanish)

CDC Group plc v. SeychellesDate Registered: April 30, 2004Composition:President: Charles N. BROWER (U.S.)Members: Michael HWANG (Singaporean)David A.R. WILLIAMS (New Zealand)

Consortium R.F.C.C. v. MoroccoDate Registered: April 30, 2004Composition:President: Bernard HANOTIAU (Belgian)Members: Arghyrios A. FATOUROS (Greek)Franklin BERMAN (British)

■■

International

Domestic

Repsol Date Registered: July 15, 2004Composition:President: Judd L. KESSLER (U.S.)Members: Piero BERNARDINI (Italian)Gonzalo BIGGS (Chilean)

MTD v. ChileDate Registered: September 30, 2004Composition:President: Gilbert GUILLAUME (French)Members: James R. CRAWFORD (Australian)Sara ORDOÑEZ NORIEGA (Colombian)

HNS v. United Arab EmiratesDate Registered: November 12, 2004Composition:President: Florentino P. FELICIANO (Philippine)Members: Omar NABULSI (Jordanian)Brigitte STERN (French)

JMML v. EgyptDate Registered: December 22, 2004Composition:President: Antonias C. DIMOLITSA (Greek) Members: Michael HWANG (Singaporean)José Luis SHAW (Uruguayan)

Lucchetti v. PeruDate Registered: July 01, 2005Composition: President: Hans DANELIUS (Swedish)Members: Andrea GIARDINA (Italian)Franklin BERMAN (British)

CMS Gas Transmission v. ArgentinaDate Registered: September 27, 2005Composition:President: Gilbert GUILLAUME (French)Members: Nabil ELARABY (Egyptian)James R. CRAWFORD (Australian)

Patrick Mitchell v. DRCDate Registered: July 15, 200Composition:President: Antonias C. DIMOLITSA (Greek)Members: Robert S.M. DOSSOU (Beninese)Andrea GIARDINA (Italian)

Azurix Corp. v. ArgentinaDate Registered: December 11, 2006Composition:President: Gavan GRIFFITH (Australian)Members: Bola AJIBOLA (Nigerian)Michael HWANG (Singaporean)

Siemens A.G. v. ArgentinaDate Registered: July 16, 2007Composition:President: Gilbert GUILLAUME (French)Members: Florentino P. FELICIANO (Philippine)Mohamed SHAHABUDDEEN (Guyanese)

Malaysian Historical Salvors v. MalaysiaDate Registered: September 17, 2007Composition:President: Stephen M. SCHWEBEL (U.S.)Members: Mohamed SHAHABUDDEEN (Guyanese)Peter TOMKA (Slovak)

AhmonsetoDate Registered: November 02, 2007Composition:President: Piero BERNARDINI (Italian)Members: Azzedine KETTANI (Moroccan)Peter TOMKA (Slovak)

M.C.I. Power GroupDate Registered: December 06, 2007Composition:President: Dominique HASCHER (French)Members: Hans DANELIUS (Swedish)Peter TOMKA (Slovak)

Fraport AGDate Registered: January 08, 2008Composition:President: Peter TOMKA (Slovak)Members: Dominique HASCHER (French)Campbell McLACHLAN (New Zealand)

V. Investors’ States / Host States

Legitimacy (subjective impartiality) towards State Parties, in particular Host States

V. Investors’ States - Host States 2000 - Present






■■ Investors’ States

Host States

■ In between

VI. Continuity in Composition

• Enhances coherence → legal certainty

• Not to the detriment of other criteria

• Obstacle : Increased caseload, exclusionary rules

• Informal copy of WTO Appellate Body >< Secrecy of deliberations

VI. Continuity in Composition1984 -1992

Klöckner I :Date Registered: 16 February 1984Composition:President: Pierre LALIVE (Swiss)Members: Ahmed Sadek EL-KOSHERI (Egyptian) Ignaz SEIDL-HOHENVELDERN (Austrian)

Amco I: Date Registered: 18 March 1985Composition: President: Ignaz SEIDL-HOHENVELDERN (Austrian) Members: Florentino P. FELICIANO (Philippine) Andrea GIARDINA (Italian)

MINE:Date Registered: 30 March 1988Composition: President: Sompong SUCHARITKUL (Thai) Members: Aaron BROCHES (Netherlands) Kéba MBAYE (Senegalese)

Klöckner II:Date Registered: 1 July 1988Composition: President: Sompong SUCHARITKUL (Thai) Members: Andrea GIARDINA (Italian) Kéba MBAYE (Senegalese)

Amco II:Date Registered: 18 October 1990 and 20 February 1991Composition: President: Sompong SUCHARITKUL (Thai)Members: Arghyrios A. FATOUROS (Greek) Dietrich SCHINDLER (Swiss)

SPP v. Egypt:Date Registered: 27 May 1992Composition: President: Claude REYMOND (Swiss)Members: Arghyrios A. FATOUROS (Greek) Kéba MBAYE (Senegalese)

VI. Continuity in Composition 2000 - Present







VI. Continuity in Composition Observations (2000 - Present)

• Out of 38 persons, 11 have served more than 1 time

• Generally, not in successive Committees

• 7 have served in 2 different Committees

• 3 have served in 3 different Committees

• 1 has served in the 4 last Committees → Return to continuity?

Conclusion

• Proposed criteria largely matched

• Recent return to continuity but loss of Investors’ State / Host State balance

• Danger of sacrificing other criteria to continuity ?

composition of ad hoc committees implications nicolas angelet

Documents

domestic proceedings

composition of

coherence slide

legal certainty slide

domestic influences

domestic control article

partisan influences

arbitral awards slide