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Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal:History, Procedure and Applicable Law
in a Nutshell
Herbert KronkeArbitrator and Chairman of Chamber III
Iran-United States Claims TribunalThe Hague, The Netherlands
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
International Court of Justice
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
ITLOS Photo
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
International Criminal Court
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
International Criminal Tribunalfor the former Yugoslavia
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
International Criminal Tribunalfor Rwanda
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
Iran-United States Claims Tribunal
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
• 4 November 1979: Iranian students occupy the US embassy and take diplomatic staff hostage for 444 days until 20 January 1981
• 14 November 1979: President Jimmy Carter issues executive order blocking all Iranian funds held in US banks and providing for other economic sanctions
Iran-United States Claims Tribunal
• 19 January 1981: The ‚Algiers Accords‘ (‚General Declaration‘, ‚Claims Settlement Decla-ration): Pursuant to Article II of the CSD the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal is established
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
Iran-United States Claims Tribunal
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
What were both Governments‘ objectives?
General
Iran• De-blocking assets worth
around 12 billion USD• Lifting of economic sanctions• Withdrawal of all claims
pending before ICJ and barring all claims of US nationals arising out of ‚events‘
• Return of the assets of the family of the former Shah
• US pledge of non-intervention in Iran‘s internal affairs
USA• Release of US hostages
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
What were both Governments‘ objectives?
Legal aspects
Iran• Safeguard against claims by US
corporations and individuals brought in US and other foreign courts
• Compensation for losses incurred as a consequence of US governmental action/inaction
USA• Security for tens of thousands
of claims of US corporations and individuals against Iran and Iranian entities and corporations
• Mechanism: establishement of a security fund required to hold at any time at least 500 million USD
Backdrop: uniquely strong economic, financial and military ties of the two countries
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
• IUSCT is not an (ordinary) national/domestic court
• IUSCT is not an international court or tribunal based on a multilateral treaty (such as the ICJ, the ITLOS, the ICC etc.)
• IUSCT is not an ad hoc arbitral tribunal established for the resolution of one dispute
• IUSCT is neither a commercial arbitral tribunal nor a tribunal established for the resolution of investment disputes
The Tribunal‘s Uniqueness
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
Jurisdiction
ratione personae et materiae• As provided for in Article II of
the Claims Settlement Declaration
• As established and specified by the Tribunal‘s jurisprudence
ratione temporis“claims (and counterclaims) that
i. arose prior to 19 January 1981 and were outstanding on that date
ii.were filed with the Tribunal by 19 January 1982.”
“arguably within the Tribunal’s jurisdiction”
Kompetenz-Kompetenz
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
Applicable rules of procedure
• Basis: the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, 1976
• Numerous modifications (or merely explanations, provided for in commentaries) addressing the peculiarity of the involvement of two sovereign States (both as Parties to the ‚Algiers Accords‘ and sometimes as parties to a specific dispute brought before the Tribunal for decision
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
Law and rules of law applicable to the merits
Article 33 Tribunal Rules1. The arbitral tribunal shall decide all cases
on the basis of respect for law, applying such choice of law rules and principles of commercial andinternational law as the arbitral tribunal determines to be applicable, taking into account relevant usages of the trade, contract provisions and changed circumstances.
2. The arbitral tribunal shall decide ex aequo et bono only if the arbitrating parties have expressly and in writing authorized it to do so.
Article 33 UNCITRAL Rules1. The arbitral tribunal shall apply the law
designated by the parties as applicable to the substance of the dispute. Failing such designation by the parties, the arbitral tribunal shall apply the law determined by the conflict of laws rules which it considers applicable.
2. The arbitral tribunal shall decide as amiable compositeur or ex aequo et bono only if the parties have expressly authorized the arbitral tribunal to do so and if the law applicable to the arbitral procedure permits such arbitration.
3. In all cases, the arbitral tribunal shall decide in accordance with the terms of the contract and shall take into account the usages of the trade applicable to the transaction.
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Institut für ausländisches und internationales Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Herbert Kronke
Further reading
Aldrich, The Jurisprudence of the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal (Oxford 1996)
Brower/Brueschke, The Iran-United States Claims Tribunal (The Hague 1998)
Böckstiegel, Zur Bedeutung des Iran-United States Claims Tribunal für die Entwicklung des internationalen Rechts, in: Festschrift der Rechtswissenschaftlichen Fakultät zur 600-Jahr-Feier der Universität zu Köln (1988) 605
Kronke, Internationales Beweisrecht in der Praxis des Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, in: Jakob/Mäsch/Schmid/Hilbig-Lugani/Reuß (Hrsg.), Festschrift Coester-Waltjen (2015)