Unit information: Transnational Arbitration in 2019/20

Unit name	Transnational Arbitration
Unit code	LAWD30128
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24)
Unit director	Dr. Mark Campbell
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	LAWD10008 Contract, LAWD10011 Tort.
Co-requisites	None
School/department	University of Bristol Law School
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Description including Unit Aims

Arbitration has become the dispute resolution method of choice in international business; transnational contracts frequently include a clause referring any disputes which may arise between the parties to arbitration. This unit aims to explain how arbitration works as a method of dispute resolution and to explore the legal framework in which international commercial arbitration operates. This framework comprises four main components: first, the law governing the arbitration agreement (which determines the agreement's validity and scope); secondly; the rules which govern procedural aspects of an arbitration (such as the constitution of the tribunal, the tribunal's powers and the powers that may be exercised by a national court in relation to an arbitration); thirdly, the law (or other considerations) by reference to which the tribunal determines the parties' dispute; and fourthly, the law governing enforcement of an arbitral award through the courts (whether in the country of origin or in another country).

Aims:

• to understand how arbitration differs from litigation and to assess its strengths and weaknesses as a method of dispute resolution;
• to understand how the essentially private process of arbitration interacts with the legal system;
• to understand the interrelationship between applicable norms which derive from a variety of different sources at different levels (the agreement of the parties, arbitral institutions, national law and international conventions);
• to understand the various stages of an arbitration and the different ways in which legal problems can arise at these various stages;
• to be able to identify the legal problems posed by complex factual situations and to understand how the applicable norms provide answers to such problems.

Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit a successful student will be able to:

• demonstrate a sound understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of arbitration as a method of dispute resolution and of the legal framework which regulates international commercial arbitration

• reveal an understanding of the ways in which the legal system can impact upon the process of arbitration

• show some understanding of the different approaches taken by different legal systems to certain key issues

• show a firm grasp of the important legal principles in the field of international commercial arbitration and be able to apply them accurately to offer reasoned solutions to hypothetical problem questions.

Teaching Information

Two-hour seminars (ten); one-hour lectures (ten)

Assessment Information

1 x formative assessment (submitted for marking), plus additional informal formative feedback opportunities as indicated by the unit coordinator.

Formative assessments do not count towards final mark and can be optional.

Summative: three-hour examination

The assessments will assess all of the intended learning outcomes for this unit.

Reading and References

• UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (1985), with amendments as adopted in 2006
• Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards (New York, 1958)
• Gary Born, International Arbitration: Law and Practice(2nd edn, Kluwer Law International 2015)
• Nigel Blackaby, Constantine Partasides et al, Redfern and Hunter on International Arbitration (6th edn, OUP 2015)
• Margaret Moses, The Principles and Practice of International Commercial Arbitration (3rd edn, Cambridge University Press 2017)
• Julian Lew, Loukas Mistelis and Stefan Kroll, Comparative International Commercial Arbitration (Kluwer Law International 2003)