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Approaches to W itness Evidence in International Arbitration

Explore the competing approaches of the IBA Rules and Prague Rules in handling witness evidence in international arbitration, including the use of videoconferencing, documents-only basis, choosing witnesses, compelling evidence, and control of the arbitral tribunal.

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Approaches to W itness Evidence in International Arbitration

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  1. Approaches to Witness Evidence in International Arbitration Philippe Boisvert

  2. Witness evidence as a cost factor

  3. Competing Approaches? • IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration (2010) “IBA Rules” • Rules on the Efficient Conduct of Proceedings in International Arbitration (Prague Rules) (2018) “Prague Rules”

  4. IBA Rules, Foreword “The IBA issued these Rules as a resource to parties and to arbitrators to provide an efficient, economical and fair process for the taking of evidence in international arbitration. The Rules provide mechanisms for the presentation of documents, witnesses of fact and expert witnesses, inspections, as well as the conduct of evidentiary hearings.”

  5. Prague Rules, Preamble “The Prague Rules on the Efficient Conduct of Proceedings in International Arbitration (“Prague Rules”) are intended to provide a framework and/or guidance for arbitral tribunals and parties on how to increase efficiency of arbitration by encouraging a more active role for arbitral tribunals in managing proceedings.”

  6. Need for a Hearing? IBA RULES Article 8 – Evidentiary Hearing 1. […] Each witness shall appear in person unless the Arbitral Tribunal allows the use of videoconference or similar technology with respect to a particular witness. PRAGUE RULES Article 8 – Hearing 8.1 In order to promote cost-efficiency and to the extent appropriate for a particular case, the arbitral tribunal and the parties should seek to resolve the dispute on a documents-only basis.

  7. Choosing Witnesses for Oral Testimony IBA RULES Article 8 – Evidentiary Hearing 1. Within the time ordered by the Arbitral Tribunal, each Party shall inform the Arbitral Tribunaland the other Parties of the witnesses whose appearance it requests. Each witness […] shall, subject to Article 8.2, appear for testimony at the Evidentiary Hearing if such person’s appearance has been requested by any Party or by the Arbitration Tribunal.

  8. Compelling Witness Evidence IBA RULES Article 4 – Witnesses of Fact 10. At any time before the arbitration is concluded, the Arbitral Tribunal may order any Party to provide for, or to use its best efforts to provide for, the appearance for testimony at an Evidentiary Hearing of any person, including one whose testimony has not yet been offered. A Party to whom such a request is addressed may object for any of the reasons set forth in Article 9.2. • PRAGUE RULES • Article 5 – Fact Witnesses • 5.5. The arbitral tribunal may also, if it deems it appropriate, itself invite a party to submit a written witness statement of a particular witness before the hearing. • 5.6. If a written witness statement is submitted by a party by virtue of Article 5.4 or at the invitation of the arbitral tribunal by virtue of Article 5.5, the arbitral tribunal, upon having heard the parties, may decide that such witness nonetheless should not be called for examination at the hearing.

  9. Control of the Arbitral Tribunal IBA RULES Article 8 – Evidentiary Hearing 2. The Arbitral Tribunal shall at all times have complete control over the Evidentiary Hearing. The Arbitral Tribunal may limit or exclude any question to, answer by or appearance of a witness, if it considers such question, answer or appearance to be irrelevant, immaterial, unreasonably burdensome, duplicativeor otherwise covered by a reason for objection set forth in Article 9.2. Questions to a witness during direct and re-direct testimony may not be unreasonably leading. PRAGUE RULES Article 5 – Fact Witnesses 5.9 At the hearing, the examination of any fact witness shall be conducted under the direction and control of the arbitral tribunal. The arbitral tribunal can reject a question posed to the witness if the arbitral tribunal considers it to be irrelevant, redundant, not material to the outcome of the case or for other reasons. After having heard the parties, the arbitral tribunal may also impose other restrictions, including setting the order of examination of the witnesses, time limits for examination or types of questions to be allowed or hold witness conferences, as it deems appropriate.

  10. Relying on Witness Statements in Absence of Oral Testimony IBA RULES Article 4 – Witnesses of Fact 7. If a witness whose appearance has been requested pursuant to Article 8.1 fails without a valid reason to appear for testimony at an Evidentiary Hearing, the Arbitral Tribunal shall disregard any Witness Statement related to that Evidentiary Hearing by that witness unless, in exceptional circumstances, the Arbitral Tribunal decides otherwise. • PRAGUE RULES • Article 5 – Fact Witnesses • 5.8 Any decision not to call a witness who has submitted a witness statement does not limit the arbitral tribunal’s authority to • give as much evidential value to the written witness statement as it deems appropriate.

  11. Thank you

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