A conference on arbitrator independence that will bring together former secretary generals of the ICC International Court of Arbitration and feature a mock ICC Court Plenary Session will be held on 26 February.

The former secretary generals will discuss the history and development of the ICC Rules and practice with respect to the requirement that all arbitrators in ICC Arbitration proceedings be totally independent.

The one-day seminar to be held at ICC headquarters in Paris will be of particular interest to all professionals involved in international trade and dispute resolution, including lawyers, arbitrators, magistrates, academics and corporate counsel.

“This is a unique opportunity to get a glimpse of what goes on behind the scenes at a plenary session of the ICC International Court of Arbitration,” said Jason Fry, Secretary General of the ICC International Court of Arbitration who will act as Counsel in charge of the cases during the mock session.

“In view of the current revision of the ICC Rules of Arbitration, former secretary generals will discuss the history and development of the Rules, notably the issue of arbitrators' disclosure obligations,” Mr Fry added.

In particular, the discussion will focus on the disclosure obligations and how the ICC Court evaluates objections to party-nominated arbitrators in deciding whether to confirm the named arbitrator. 

The mock plenary court session in the afternoon will decide challenges to arbitrators serving in ICC cases. Chaired by John Beechey, Chairman of the ICC Court, current members of the Court from around the world will participate.

“The simulation is true-to-life, with the mock-materials and the presentations by the members of the ICC Court and Secretariat closely paralleling the actual cases the ICC Court deals with on a weekly basis,” said Kevin Kim, a Court member. “This is a ‘must-attend’ event for anyone interested in witnessing first-hand the dynamics and inner workings of the ICC Court and its Secretariat.”

The mock session will be followed by a discussion on what happens after an institution rejects a challenge to an arbitrator and one of the parties in the case later raises it as a defense against enforcing a Court decision.

To view the brochure in PDF format, please click here 

To register, please click here 

For further information, please contact:

ICC Events

Tel: +331 49 53289