memorial for respondent team ago fifth annual foreign ... - FDI Moot
memorial for respondent team ago fifth annual foreign ... - FDI Moot
memorial for respondent team ago fifth annual foreign ... - FDI Moot
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Procedural Background<br />
3. On 4 December 2006, Max Solutions submitted a request <strong>for</strong> arbitration against<br />
Bela Rano Insularo to the International Centre <strong>for</strong> Settlement of Investment Disputes<br />
(“ICSID”) pursuant to Article 24 of the Treaty Between the Government of Oscania and<br />
the Government of Bela Rano Insularo Concerning the Encouragement and Reciprocal<br />
Protection of Investment (the “Treaty”).<br />
4. Claimant appointed Mr. Albert Viator, an arbitration practitioner and experienced<br />
commercial arbitrator, to the arbitral tribunal (the “Tribunal”) and Respondent appointed<br />
Professor Alessandra Iracunda, a prominent investment law academic and experienced<br />
arbitrator. Both party-appointed arbitrators accepted their respective appointments and<br />
nominated Dr. Humberto Honesta as Chair of the Tribunal. Dr. Honesta accepted his<br />
appointment on 13 February 2007.<br />
5. On 1 March 2007, Claimant submitted a Proposal to disqualify Professor Iracunda<br />
(the “Challenge”) in accordance with Article 57 of the ICSID Convention, claiming that<br />
Professor Iracunda’s academic publications in the field of investment law and her<br />
membership in the environmental organization Wilderness undermined her impartiality. 8<br />
6. In accordance with Arbitration Rule 9(4), Mr. Viator and Dr. Honesta (the “Two<br />
Members”) considered and ultimately dismissed the challenge to Professor Iracunda. 9<br />
Consistent with prior dismissals on similar grounds, the Two Members observed that it is<br />
common <strong>for</strong> legal scholars to act as arbitrators and that the mere expression of a viewpoint<br />
on a relevant legal issue cannot suffice to disqualify an arbitrator. If publication of a view<br />
did suffice, the Two Members found, only few scholars could arbitrate disputes and<br />
professional arbitrators would feel pressured to refrain from publication in order to avoid<br />
“viewpoint-based challenges.” 10 Such a development would, according to the Two<br />
Members, significantly undermine the future development of international investment<br />
law. 11<br />
8 UF, 3:155<br />
9 CD, 5:255<br />
10 CD, 9:435<br />
11 CD, 9:436-438<br />
2