In collaboration with the University of New South Wales and Australia Awards, a group of ten senior lawyers of the Sri Lankan Attorney General’s Department recently visited Sydney to participate in a one week intensive course on International Commercial Arbitration, held from 30 April to 4 May 2018.
Course convener, Damian Sturzaker (Partner, Marque Lawyers, Visiting Professorial Fellow at UNSW) was joined by a host of guest speakers including Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, the Honourable James Allsop AO. Topics over the week included the law, rules and institutions relevant to the Asia Pacific region, issues relating to commencing arbitral proceedings and conducting hearings, investor-state disputes (of which Sri Lanka has experience, having participated in one of the earliest ICSID cases (see final award here), and treaty negotiations.
The Australian Branch of the ILA was pleased to be involved in the course not only through Mr Sturzaker (immediate past President), but also through guest speakers such as Management Committee member Jo Delaney (Partner, Baker McKenzie) and President Dr Chris Ward SC (6 St James Hall Chambers). Dr Ward delivered a lecture on the enforcement of arbitral awards in Asia and provided his insights at an afternoon workshop held at UNSW.
The course was a giant success on all accounts and we hear that the participants are keen to ensure that their fellow colleagues back in Sri Lanka are given similar opportunities to visit Sydney to participate in the not-too-distant future. Should there be a repeat, the Australian Branch will no doubt be keen to be involved again.
