Social Justice in International Investment Treaty Arbitration: The Value of Human Rights Interventions

Warwick School of Law Research Paper

HUMAN RIGHTS IN INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT LAW AND ARBITRATION, pp. 396-421, Dupuy, Petersmann and Francioni, eds., OUP, 2009

23 Pages Posted: 12 Nov 2010

See all articles by James Harrison

James Harrison

University of Warwick - School of Law

Date Written: 2009

Abstract

This paper analyses the human rights interventions of various civil society organisations in international investment arbitration through the submission of amicus curiae briefs. It asks what value these interventions have had in promoting social justice issues in the arbitration process.

The paper argues that the language and legal obligations of human rights appear to have an important impact in terms of ensuring that amicus submissions of civil society groups are accepted by tribunals. But there are fundamental problems inherent in this mechanism which make it unlikely that the human rights arguments raised will have any significant role in the decision-making process of the tribunal panels. The paper concludes with some thoughts about the wider implications of these findings for international investment law, international human rights law and international law more generally.

Keywords: amicus, amicus brief, investment, human rights, social justice, arbitration, essential services, Biwater, Tanzania, Argentina, water.

JEL Classification: K10

Suggested Citation

Harrison, James, Social Justice in International Investment Treaty Arbitration: The Value of Human Rights Interventions (2009). Warwick School of Law Research Paper , HUMAN RIGHTS IN INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT LAW AND ARBITRATION, pp. 396-421, Dupuy, Petersmann and Francioni, eds., OUP, 2009, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1706713

James Harrison (Contact Author)

University of Warwick - School of Law ( email )

Gibbet Hill Road
Coventry CV4 7AL, CV4 7AL
United Kingdom
02476 523170 (Phone)
02476 524105 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/staff/academic/harrison

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
303
Abstract Views
1,295
Rank
182,864
PlumX Metrics