Today, with the participation of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, the Official Affirmation Ceremony of the new Chief Justice of the AIFC Court, The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mance was conducted online. The ceremony was also attended by the first Chief Justice of the AIFC Court, The Rt. Hon. The Lord Woolf CH and by the AIFC Governor, Dr. Kairat Kelimbetov.

Lord Mance commented:

“It is a great honour to serve as Chief Justice of the AIFC Court in succession to Lord Woolf. The purpose of the AIFC Court, to provide a secure common law foundation for business and investment, is of very real importance not only in Kazakhstan, but for the Central Asian region generally. I am impressed with the vision displayed by the leadership of Kazakhstan in promoting the AIFC Court and the whole “Astana” International Financial Centre. I am confident that both institutions will continue to achieve outstanding results.”

Lord Mance served as Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court from 2017 until 2018. He has many years of experience in commercial law and international trade, in public and private international law and in European law.

Lord Woolf added:

“I am grateful to the leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan for their trust and I am proud of the work that the AIFC Court team has done over the past two and a half years. A system, unique for the Central Asian region, was created from scratch, and now outstanding judges with vast experience work in it. There is a growing interest from other countries to learn about the experience of the AIFC Court and the new high standards of administration of justice that it has set.”

The AIFC Court began its operations in 2018 and has already achieved considerable success and more quickly than the experience of similar common law courts at other international financial centres. All of its operations are now provided online without disruption using the most up to date digital technology with its world class eJustice e-filing system and video hearings. It is currently considering its third case having already given two judgments which were successfully enforced to 100% satisfaction using its specially designed step by step procedure with the Kazakhstan enforcement authorities.

It has been included in the dispute resolution clauses of thousands of business contracts including in standard contracts at the energy corporation, Chevron. 172 lawyers from 23 jurisdictions around the world have registered at the AIFC Court for rights of audience. 22 Memoranda of understanding have been agreed with other local, regional and international dispute resolution centres.

More than 1000 lawyers have been trained on common law advocacy, international commercial law, and accredited as international standard mediators. New services have been launched including judicial mediation. Additional services will be launched later this year to ensure it is always innovative.

President Tokayev thanked Lord Woolf for his work as the first Chief Justice of the AIFC Court and wished Lord Mance good luck as his successor as the new Chief Justice of the AIFC Court.

Reference:

The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mance,
Chief Justice of the AIFC Court

In 2005 Lord Mance was appointed a Lord of Appeal in Ordinary in the House of Lords. In 2009 he and nine other Lords of Appeal became Justices of the UK Supreme Court upon that court’s inauguration. He was appointed Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court in 2017.

From 2012 to 2018 he was appointed High Steward of Oxford University, where he read Jurisprudence, holds an honorary doctorate of Civil Law and is an Honorary Fellow of University College and Wolfson College.

AIFC. The AIFC was established on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. In December 2015 President Nazarbayev approved the Constitutional Statute “On the Astana International Financial Centre” (AIFC). The aim of the AIFC is to establish a leading international centre for financial services. The objectives of the AIFC are to attract investment into the economy through the establishment of an attractive environment for investment in financial services, develop local capital markets, ensuring their integration with the international capital markets. https://aifc.kz

The AIFC Court is an independent legal entity. It has its own procedural rules modelled on English common law procedures and leading international practice. The AIFC Court is separate and independent from the courts of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It consists of two tiers: a Court of First Instance, which includes a specialist division known as the Small Claims Court; and a Court of Appeal. It has exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising out of the activities and operations of the AIFC and jurisdiction in the case of other disputes in which all parties agree in writing to give the AIFC Court jurisdiction. It does not have jurisdiction in relation to any disputes that are of a criminal or administrative nature. It applies the most up to date and efficient case management practices. https://court.aifc.kz/

From 30 June – 3 July 2020 the AIFC Court and International Arbitration Centre (“IAC”) hold webinars in association with the third annual Online Astana Finance Days 2020. The webinars will be dedicated to dispute resolution challenges and innovations during and post the COVID-19 pandemic.

The webinars are a part of a special webinar programme that was launched in April 2020 entitled “The AIFC Court and IAC Webinars Programme 2020”. Fifteen webinars have already been successfully held by the AIFC Court and IAC during this programme with the participation of distinguished speakers including the AIFC Court Judges, IAC arbitrators, and partners of law firms from Kazakhstan and around the world. The purpose of the webinars programme is to ensure that AIFC Court and IAC users and potential users remain connected to the latest dispute resolution innovations including the successful launch and continued free of charge daily use of the ONLINE AIFC Court and IAC which has now facilitated quick and cost effective resolution of more than 90 commercial disputes.

The AIFC Court & IAC Webinars in association with the Online Astana Finance Days 2020 will consist of the following webinars:

• On 1 July 2002: “Online Dispute Resolution Now & The Future”. Lead by Mr. Christopher Campbell-Holt, the Registrar and Chief Executive of the AIFC Court and IAC, representatives of key dispute resolution institution partners of the AIFC Court and IAC from Beijing and Hong Kong will discuss latest dispute resolution innovations and use of technology to resolve disputes.
• On 3 July 2020: “Ask the Chief Justice. Ask the IAC Chairman”. The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mance, Chief Justice of the AIFC Court, and Ms. Barbara Dohmann QC, Chairman of the IAC, will answer questions from the webinar participants.

Mr. Christopher Campbell-Holt, Registrar and Chief Executive of the AIFC Court and IAC, commented:

“We have carefully monitored the COVID-19 pandemic and implemented measures to ensure that the AIFC Court and IAC continue to operate 100% online free of charge without disruption. One of the features of the AIFC Court and IAC Webinars in association with the Online Astana Finance Days 2020 is that participants may attend the webinars free of charge via video from anywhere around the world without having to be physically present in Nur-Sultan. The most up to date dispute resolution innovations will be discussed by leading experts during the webinars. We encourage anyone with an interest in dispute resolution to join the webinars and to learn more about the AIFC Court and IAC as they continue to provide world class online dispute resolution services free of charge at the heart of Central Asia.”

Reference:

AIFC. The AIFC was established on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. In December 2015 President Nazarbayev approved the Constitutional Statute “On the Astana International Financial Centre” (AIFC). The aim of the AIFC is to establish a leading international centre for financial services. The objectives of the AIFC are to attract investment into the economy through the establishment of an attractive environment for investment in financial services, develop local capital markets, ensuring their integration with the international capital markets. https://aifc.kz

The AIFC Court is an independent legal entity. It has its own procedural rules modelled on English common law procedures and leading international practice. The AIFC Court is separate and independent from the courts of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It consists of two tiers: a Court of First Instance, which includes a specialist division known as the Small Claims Court; and a Court of Appeal. It has exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising out of the activities and operations of the AIFC and jurisdiction in the case of other disputes in which all parties agree in writing to give the AIFC Court jurisdiction. It does not have jurisdiction in relation to any disputes that are of a criminal or administrative nature. It applies the most up to date and efficient case management practices. https://court.aifc.kz/

The International Arbitration Centre (IAC) is an independent legal entity. It has its own procedural rules modelled on best international practice. It has its own panel of leading international arbitrators and mediators having many years of arbitration and mediation experience in commercial law, including oil and gas, trade, construction, energy, financial services, banking, Islamic finance, insurance, and intellectual property. IAC arbitration awards are recognised and enforceable in Kazakhstan and internationally. https://iac.aifc.kz/

The AIFC Court and IAC have been actively monitoring the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation. We have implemented measures to ensure the continuity of our dispute resolution operations and services while safeguarding the health and safety of our users and staff.

We are following government advice and guidelines and continue to provide our dispute resolution services online without charge to users.

Cases can be filed at the AIFC Court and IAC online via our eJustice system which can be accessed via the AIFC Court and IAC websites. We can resolve disputes using audio and video technology, by written submissions and email. Disputes can be resolved without the parties to the disputes having to leave their homes. We are actively resolving disputes via our online facilities. 57 mediation cases have been resolved applying our mediation rules and two arbitration cases are currently being considered at the IAC. One case has been resolved at the AIFC Court.

In addition to the measures we have taken to resolve disputes online, we will later this month launch our online “AIFC Court and IAC Webinar Series” to ensure our users and the business and legal community remain connected to developments at the AIFC Court and IAC and other dispute resolution matters including challenges posed by the COVID-19 situation.

The AIFC Court and IAC provide a one stop shop for commercial dispute resolution. They are independent from the judicial system of the Republic of Kazakhstan and operate to the highest international standards to resolve civil and commercial disputes originating in the AIFC and in other disputes in which all parties to the dispute agree to give the AIFC Court or IAC jurisdiction. The judges, arbitrators, mediators, procedures, practices and standards at the AIFC Court and IAC are familiar to businesses currently operating in major financial centres around the world.

For case related enquiries and filings, please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected]

We wish you and your families good health.

Mr. Christopher Campbell-Holt, AIFC Court and IAC Registrar and Chief Executive, commented:

“We have carefully monitored the COVID-19 situation and implemented measures to ensure that the AIFC Court and IAC continue to operate online. All case filings and hearings at the AIFC Court and IAC are now administered online free of charge and without parties to a dispute having to leave the comfort and safety of their homes. Investors and businesses can be assured that their disputes will be resolved online at the AIFC Court and IAC applying the highest standards of the rule of law in a timely and cost effective manner.”

Reference:

AIFC. The AIFC was established on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. In December 2015 President Nazarbayev approved the Constitutional Statute “On the Astana International Financial Centre” (AIFC). The aim of the AIFC is to establish a leading international centre for financial services. The objectives of the AIFC are to attract investment into the economy through the establishment of an attractive environment for investment in financial services, develop local capital markets, ensuring their integration with the international capital markets. https://aifc.kz/

The AIFC Court is an independent legal entity. It has its own procedural rules modelled on English common law procedures and leading international practice. The AIFC Court is separate and independent from the courts of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It consists of two tiers: a Court of First Instance, which includes a specialist division known as the Small Claims Court; and a Court of Appeal. It has exclusive jurisdiction over disputes arising out of the activities and operations of the AIFC and jurisdiction in the case of other disputes in which all parties agree in writing to give the AIFC Court jurisdiction. It does not have jurisdiction in relation to any disputes that are of a criminal or administrative nature. It applies the most up to date and efficient case management practices. https://court.aifc.kz/

The International Arbitration Centre (IAC) is an independent legal entity. It has its own procedural rules modelled on best international practice. It has its own panel of leading international arbitrators and mediators having many years of arbitration and mediation experience in commercial law, including oil and gas, trade, construction, energy, financial services, banking, Islamic finance, insurance, and intellectual property. IAC arbitration awards are recognised and enforceable in Kazakhstan and internationally. https://iac.aifc.kz/