December publications from ICC

Professor Jan Ramberg is presently Vice President of the ICC Commission on Commercial Law and Practice

Paris, 2 December 2004 -- Hot off the press this month from ICC Books comes the third edition of Incoterms expert, Jan Ramberg's, International Commercial Transactions.

Delivering up-to-the-minute and unrivalled information, International Commercial Transactions focuses on the 1980 convention on contracts for international sale of goods and is an indispensable publication for commercial lawyers, international trade practitioners and academics alike.

Contents of the publication include:

• The 2004 UNIDROIT Principles of International Commercial Contracts,
• The 2003 Principles of European Contract Law,
• The 2003 ICC Force Majeure and Hardship Clause,
• The 2004 ICC Models for Commercial Agency and Distribution.

Two new publications from ICC Books

Also new from ICC Books this month, Arbitration and Oral Evidence examines the problems presented by oral evidence in arbitration proceedings which were the focus of the 2003 Annual General Meeting of the ICC Institute of World Business Law in Paris.

ICC spoke to Serge Lazareff, Chairman of the Institute of World Business Law, for his insight into the book's contents.

Can you give a brief description of this latest Institute of World Business Law book?

Lazareff: ICC's Institute of World Business Law has revived its publishing tradition whose dual function is research and training. This dossier is the second in a new series which compiles the proceedings of our Annual Meeting; a colloquium where well-known and respected international practitioners come to share their expertise and experience on topical issues.

What are the principal topics covered in Arbitration and Oral Evidence?

Serge Lazareff, Chairman of the ICC Institute of World Business Law

Lazareff: Arbitration and Oral Evidence addresses the topic of oral evidence in international commercial arbitration. Some key questions include: What are the respective roles of oral and documentary evidence? Which is more appropriate in a given case, taking into account the facts to be proven? Who can be a witness? What are the rights and obligations of a witness? Can a witness be prepared? If yes, by whom and to what extent? Is it advisable to submit prior witness statements?

What is the aim of the publication?

Lazareff: Practitioners are aware of the considerable progress made over the past years to bring in line different traditions. Roughly speaking, there are no longer major differences between civil and common substantive rules of law and of proceedings. Evidence is the only area with different approaches depending on legal tradition. The aim of this publication is to give the reader a thorough picture of the practical issues raised by the oral presentation of evidence.

Why is this book particularly timely and who will it appeal to?

Lazareff: The taking of oral evidence and the determination of its weight in comparison with documentary evidence are difficult questions which arbitrators, counsel and parties have to deal with in every single case. The purpose of this book is to help the practitioner gain a sharper insight into the issue of oral evidence in arbitration and to suggest useful and usable tools to help him find solutions to practical difficulties, taking into account legal and cultural differences. This book should be of great help to any practitioner, lawyer or not, involved in international trade and dispute resolution.

Visit the ICC Bookstore now to order your copy of International Commercial Transactions. Pre-orders are now being taken for Arbitration and Oral Evidence which will be available in January 2005.

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