Maxwell Lectures: Impartiality and the Construction of Trust in Investor State Dispute Settlement

Maxwell Lectures: Impartiality and the Construction of Trust in Investor State Dispute Settlement | 30 April 2024

This year, we had the privilege of hosting Professor Stavros Brekoulakis, the Michael and Laura Hwang Chair of International Arbitration at the National University of Singapore to deliver the 2024 Maxwell Lecture on the topic “Impartiality and the Construction of Trust in Investor State Dispute Settlement”.

The Lecture called for a new, and contextualised, understanding of impartiality which aligns more closely with the value of trust in ISDS. Drawing findings from a large-scale empirical project, Professor Brekoulakis challenged the applicability of an orthodox judicial idea of impartiality in ISDS. The lecture also highlighted that a judicial doctrine of impartiality does not reconcile with the fundamental value of trust in ISDS arbitrators which is constructed on a fundamentally different basis from that of trust in national and international judges.

If you have missed the live session, you can now watch the recorded session below

Q&A from the Lecture:

Q1: What are the potential challenges in the future for issuing arbitral awards? Are there any changes in environment or technology that may mitigate or worsen these challenges?

Q2: What aspects of arbitration are ready for AI?

Q3: What do you think are the key issues that need to be considered when using technology?

Q4: About diversity, I notice that the ICC now has an almost 50/50 male/female mix. Is this too fast and too artificial?

Q5: For operating with ICC arbitration, since the publishing of the ICC arbitration rules 2021 in the year of 2021, which part of the arbitration rules 2021 would ICC suggest multi-national companies, future expert witnesses, future party representatives and future arbitrators to pay attention to as per ICC’s observation so far?

Q6: What would ICC like expert witnesses, party representatives, and arbitrators to do (and prepare themselves) in order to operate ICC arbitration in line with ICC’s vision?

Watch the full recorded session below:

Category	Fee (SGD)
YouTube Livestreaming Ticket	Free
Zoom Webinar Ticket	$30*

Attendance Policy

Participants who wish to obtain CPD Points are reminded that they must comply strictly with the Attendance Policy set out in the CPD Guidelines. For participants attending the face-to-face activity, this includes signing in on arrival and signing out at the conclusion of the activity in the manner required by the organiser, and not being absent from the activity for more than 15 minutes. For those participating via the webinar, this includes logging in at the start of the webinar and logging out at the conclusion of the webinar in the manner required by the organiser, and not being away from the activity for more than 15 minutes. Participants who do not comply with the Attendance Policy will not be able to obtain CPD Points for attending the activity. Please refer to https://www.silecpdcentre.sg for more information.

Practice Area: Alternative Dispute Resolution

Training Category: General

Earn 1 Public
CPD Point

Terms & Conditions

1) Registration – Limited slots are available on a first-come-first-served basis.

2) Cancellations and refunds – Refunds will only be processed up to 7 days before event. The refund will return to your original payment method within 5-7 business days. Please note that payment processing fees incurred will not be refunded.

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The Organiser reserves the right to cancel or alter the content and timing of the programme or the identity of the speakers. In the event that the webinar is cancelled by the Organiser, the participants will be notified prior to the webinar.

Speaker

Stavros Brekoulakis

Stavros Brekoulakis is the Michael and Laura Hwang Chair of International Arbitration at the National University of Singapore. Stavros also practices as arbitrator from 3 Verulam Buildings (Gray’s Inn), being consistently recognised as a WWL Arbitration: Global Elite Thought Leader. Stavros is the author of several monographs, books, edited volumes and articles in leading law journals. He has been invited to deliver the Summer Course on Private International Law at the Hague Academy of International Law in 2026. Stavros is a member of the ICCA Governing Board, LCIA Court & ICC Commission on Arbitration. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management; the General Editor of the Journal of International Dispute Settlement; the Co-editor of Kluwer’s International Arbitration Law Library Series; and a member of the Editorial Board of the Arbitration International.