Realising Arbitral Justice: Access to International Arbitration and Enforcement of Awards

The discussion examines the tension between judicial intervention and party autonomy, trends in cross-border enforcement, and the evolving approach of courts toward recognition and execution of arbitral awards. The panel offers comparative perspectives from the UK, Europe, and South Asia, highlighting key lessons for practitioners and businesses relying on international arbitration.

SPEAKERS:

Paul McMahon , Associate Professor of Law , London School of Economics (LSE)

The Hon. Mr Justice Robin Knowles CBE , Judge , High Court of England & Wales

Accountable to an international Steering Group, Sir Robin is the judge with day-to-day responsibility for the Standing International Forum of Commercial Courts (SIFoCC), the global forum of the world’s commercial courts.

A High Court Judge in England & Wales, Sir Robin sits principally in the Commercial Court but also deals with public law and criminal law cases. He is a designated judge of the Financial List. Sir Robin was Chairman of the International Committee of the Judicial College, and a member of the Civil Justice Council. He remains a member of the Financial Markets Law Committee and its governing board.

Sir Robin has a career-long involvement in the encouragement and coordination of legal pro bono work, nationally and internationally. He currently chairs the board of the National Pro Bono Centre. He was awarded the CBE in 2007 for services to pro bono.

Before appointment to the High Court Bench, Sir Robin was Chairman of the Commercial Bar Association. With others, Sir Robin led work to achieve the Rolls Building in London (as the world’s largest dedicated business dispute resolution centre), and to achieve agreement to resume the award of QC. He also assisted Qatar in establishing its International Court and Dispute Resolution Centre.

Outside the law, Sir Robin was chairman of the UK umbrella charity for children’s palliative care and children’s hospices, and of London’s first children’s hospice.

Justice Jawad Hassan , Judge , Lahore High Court

Can Eken , Assistant Professor , Durham University

Dr Crina Baltag FCIArb , Arbitrator , Queen Mary University of London

Saleem Sheikh , Solicitor and Senior Partner , Seddons GSC

MODERATOR

Dr Paul MacMahon

Paul MacMahon is an Associate Professor of Law at the LSE Law School and the Director of the Executive LLM Programme. His primary interests are contracts, commercial law, and international arbitration. Before coming to the LSE, Paul taught at Harvard and Cambridge. He studied at Oxford (BA, BCL, DPhil) and Harvard (JD), and served as a law clerk in the United States for Judge Guido Calabresi and Judge John Gleeson. Paul also worked as a litigation lawyer in New York City and remains a member of the New York Bar. In addition to teaching at LSE, Paul is a regular Visiting Professor at Católica Global School of Law in Lisbon. His work has been cited in the English and Singapore Courts of Appeal, and he has served as an expert on English law in foreign court proceedings.