Universität Wien

030238 SE Seminar in International Law: International Investment Law and the Rule of Law (2018W)

(for undergraduate and graduate students)

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 3 - Rechtswissenschaften
Continuous assessment of course work

Persönliche Anmeldung per E-Mail an martina.mittermayer@univie.ac.at

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: German, English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Thursday 11.10. 17:00 - 19:30 Seminarraum SEM63 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum 6.OG (Kickoff Class)
  • Thursday 13.12. 14:00 - 19:00 Seminarraum SEM63 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum 6.OG
  • Friday 14.12. 09:00 - 19:00 Seminarraum SEM63 Schottenbastei 10-16, Juridicum 6.OG

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This seminar is devoted to discuss the rule of law underpinnings of international investment law. This means, on the one hand, scrutinizing whether protection standards, like fair and equitable treatment, full protection and security, non-discrimination as well as the guarantee against uncompensated expropriation, reflect rule of law elements. On the other hand, it should be questioned whether the current system of international investment arbitration conforms to rule of law criteria.

Participants are requested to select one of the topics listed below for presentation.

Assessment and permitted materials

Seminar paper, presentation of the paper and participation in the discussion during the seminar sessions

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

Examination topics

• Independence and Impartiality of Arbitrators
• Procedural fairness in investment arbitration
• Transparency in investment arbitration
• Persuasive authority, predictability and consistency in arbitral decision making
• Review of arbitral awards; appeals mechanism?
• Host State (counter)-claims – equality of access to investment arbitration?
• The rule of law component inherent in the non-discrimination standards of MFN and national treatment
• Fair and Equitable Treatment – rule of law components
- Denial of Justice/Due Process
- Transparency
- Proportionality
- Reasonableness
- Stability and predictability
- Legitimate expectations
• Full Protection and Security – rule of law components
• Expropriation – rule of law components (Non-discrimination and due process)
• Judicial Expropriation
• Investment protection standards and the “right to regulate” (threat to regulatory powers of host states)

Reading list

F. Baetens, ‘Discrimination on the Basis of Nationality: Determining Likeness in Human Rights and Investment Law’, in S Schill (ed.), International Investment Law and Comparative Public Law (Oxford: Oxford University Press 2010) 279-315.
J. Bonnitcha, L. Poulsen and M. Waibel, The Political Economy of the Investment Treaty Regime (2017 OUP);
S. Chesterman, ‘An International Rule of Law’ (2008) 56 American Journal of Comparative Law 331

Franceso Francioni, ‘Access to Justice, Denial of Justice and International Investment Law’, 20 EJIL (2009) 729;
D. Gaukrodger and K. Gordon, ‘Investor-State Dispute Settlement: A Scoping Paper for the Investment Policy Community’, OECD Working Papers on International Investment, No. 3 (OECD Publishing 2012).

V. Heiskanen, ‘Arbitrary and Unreasonable Measures’, in A. Reinisch (ed.), Standards of Investment Protection (Oxford: Oxford University Press 2008), 87;
M. Jacob and St. W. Schill, ‘Fair and Equitable Treatment: Content, Practice, Method’, in M. Bungenberg, J. Griebel, S. Hobe and A. Reinisch (eds), International Investment Law. A Handbook (Beck – Nomos – Hart 2015) 700-763.

R. Kläger, Fair and Equitable Treatment in International Investment Law (CUP 2011).

D. Krishan, ‘Thinking about BITS and BIT Arbitration: The Legitimacy Crisis that Never was’, in T. Weiler and F. Baetens (eds.), New Directions in International Economic Law: in memoriam Thomas Wälde (Nijhoff 2011) 107-150.

A. Kulick (ed.), Reassertion of Control over the Investment Treaty Regime, (Cambridge University Press, 2017).

Abul F.M. Maniruzzaman, ‘Expropriation of Alien Property and the Principle of Non-Discrimination in International Law of Foreign Investment: An Overview’ (1998) 8 Journal of Transnational Law and Policy 57;
Jan Paulsson, Denial of Justice in International Law (2005);
L. Poulsen, Bounded Rationality and Economic Diplomacy: The Politics of Investment Treaties in Developing Countries (2015 CUP).
A. Reinisch, ‘The Rule of Law in International Investment Arbitration’ in P. Pazartzis and M. Gavouneli et al. (eds.), Reconceptualising the Rule of Law in Global Governance, Resources, Investment and Trade, (Oxford and Portland Oregon: Hart, 2016) 291-307.

B. Sabahi, ‘National Treatment: is Discriminatory Intent Relevant?’ in T Weiler (ed), Investment Treaty Arbitration and International Law (2008/1) 269-297.
M. Sattorova, The Impact of Investment Treaty Law on Host States: Enabling Good Governance? (2018 Oxford: Hart Publishing);
M. Sattorova, ‘International Investment Treaties and the Promise of Good Governance: Norm and Institutional Design, Internalisation, and Domestic Rule-Making’, in A. Reinisch, M. Footer and C. Binder (eds.), International Law and… Select Proceedings of the European Society of International Law (Oxford and Portland Oregon: Hart, 2016), 131-47.

St. W. Schill, ‘Fair and Equitable Treatment, the Rule of Law and Comparative Public Law’ in Stephan W. Schill (ed), International Investment Law and Comparative Public Law (Oxford University Press, 2010) 151-182.

S. W. Schill, ‘Fair and Equitable Treatment under Investment Treaties as an Embodiment of the Rule of Law’ (2006) 3(5) Transnational Dispute Management available at www.transnational-dispute-management.com.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Fair and Equitable Treatment: A Sequel (United Nations, 2012).

G. van Harten, Investment Treaty Arbitration and Public Law, (Oxford University Press, 2007),

M. Waibel et al (eds.), The Backlash against Investment Arbitration: Perceptions and Reality, (Alphen aan den Rijn: Kluwer Law International, 2010).

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Fr 06.05.2022 00:15