SBORNÍK 66 SVOČ 2016
Three most frequently used arbitration rules in the past year 98 do not preclude the use of amicus curiae submissions. ICSID arbitration Rules after their revision in 2006 expressly entitle the tribunal to admit them. 99 Tribunals operating under the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules found that the rules do not forbid tribunals to admit amicus curiae submissions; 100 similar conclusion could be drawn by tribunals that conduct proceedings pursuant to the Arbitration Rules of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. 101 As to investment treaties, it seems that the notion that amicus curiae may be beneficial for the proceedings is slowly beginning to reflect in BITs and multilateral investment treaties. North American Free Trade Commission confirmed that NAFTA does not preclude arbitral tribunals from accepting amicus curiae submissions. 102 Model BITs such as the US Model BIT, Canada Model BIT, and Norway Model BIT, expressly give tribunals the power to accept amicus curiae submissions. 103 Examination of these legal instruments thus shows that in general, tribunals are able to accept amicus curiae submissions, but they are not obligated to do so. Future tribunals that will decide cases based on any of the above stated instruments will have discretion to admit amicus curiae submissions; whether it will do so and whether it will extend amicus curiae ’s possibilities how to participate will depend on each tribunal and circumstances of the case. C. The effect of Amicus Curiae Submissions in Investments Cases Out of all the investment arbitration cases where human rights were raised, only five also introduced the issue of amicus curiae participation: Aguas del Tunari v Bolivia , 104 98 UNCTAD ‘Recent Trends in IIAS and ISDS’ (February 2015) available at
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