In the last decade, parties to arbitration agreements have attempted to broaden the scope of judicial review of arbitral awards by contract, beyond the boundaries established in international and domestic arbitration statutes. This thesis analyzes this contractual expansion of judicial review from an international perspective. To this end, the standard of judicial review under the most important international instruments pertaining to commercial arbitration is examined: the New York Convention and the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration. The study then addresses the question as to whether provisions for heightened judicial review of arbitral awards would be enforceable under the legislation of three major players in commercial arbitration: England, France and the United States. An analysis of the legitimacy of agreements that provide for expanded judicial review under the New York Convention and UNCITRAL Model Law follows. The thesis concludes with an assessment of the impact the mentioned clauses would represent for the institution of arbitration and its advantages.

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Arbitration is central to the settlement of transnational commercial disputes. This dissertation discusses arbitration as an alternative method of dispute settlement as opposed to litigation. The work surveys the difficulties relating to international commercial arbitration and the enforcement of awards, and efforts made to overcome them. The research is divided into four chapters. The first chapter introduces the reader to the work. It gives a general background to international commercial arbitration and briefly explains what the dissertation is all about. Chapter two is definitional. It examines some of the definitions of international commercial arbitration and contains the author's thoughts on this issue. The author is of the view that the traditional definitions do not properly address the concept. It is concluded that the question whether an arbitration is international should largely depend on whether international norms are used to resolve the dispute rather than by reference to geographical considerations. This chapter also weighs the advantages and disadvantages of arbitration as against litigation. Chapter three deals with recognition and enforcement of awards. This is considered crucial since at the end of the day, parties to arbitration would want to enforce their awards in a court of law, in the event of non-compliance. Since the award might be made in a foreign country, enforcement may be problematic. The chapter examines efforts made in intemational and domestic law to overcome such problems and achieve enforceable awards. A selection of multi-lateral, regional and domestic laws is examined. This chapter also discusses problems of enforcing awards against states and steps taken to overcome them. The final chapter deals with general conclusion and suggestions. It is suggested that efforts should be made to harmonise international commercial arbitration. This can be achieved both in domestic and international law. / Jurisprudence / LL.M. (Jurisprudence)

University of Macau / Faculty of Law

University of Macau / Faculty of Law

University of Macau / Faculty of Law

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Linz, Austria, 1999.

This thesis explores problems regarding the reception the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (ML) in Canada, Hong Kong and Russia. Focusing on the relationship between national courts and arbitrators, it argues that the ML fosters gradual harmonization of law on international arbitration, while accommodating the particular needs of the legal cultures and traditions of Canada, Hong Kong and Russia. The importance of this study derives from the fact that the experience of these three countries has been, and it still is, a guide for a number of other countries considering the adoption of the ML and modification of their arbitration laws. First, the thesis explores the implementation of the ML at the national level, in each of the countries of adoption in order determine, the legal changes, if any, brought about by the adoption. The hypothesis is that legal borrowing can lead to different results in countries with different legal traditions, different levels of economic development and different political structures. At this level the analysis focuses on statutory frameworks and judicial practice in these countries. Second, the thesis compares the results from the study at the national level in order to explore the ways in which the same pattern (that is, the ML) has been modified to reflect the socio-economic environment and principles of old systems, and to determine changes to the original model. The hypothesis is that arbitral tribunals are promoters of a new "internationalized" legal culture and that national judges and courts, in comparison, are more likely to reflect local or national legal cultures. The thesis concludes that variations in the application and interpretation of the M L in the three countries does not mean that the ML cannot bring about the harmonization of laws. However, the ML is not a transplantation or duplication of foreign law, but a project of reception. In that way, the ML serves as a basis for creativity, rather than representing the imposition of a new, and perhaps, inappropriate; legal culture.

Thesis (doctoral)--Université de Paris I, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [535]-559) and index.