Посты с тэгом: AIFC Court

On 4 March the AIFC Court and International Arbitration Centre (“IAC”) signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Law Society of England and Wales. The Law Society is a strategic partner of the AIFC Court and IAC in providing and developing the rule of law in their respective jurisdictions and internationally.

The signing ceremony was held at a special seminar organised by the Law Society in partnership with the Bar Council of England and Wales, the AIFC Court and IAC. The seminar was opened by Ms. Christina Blacklaws, President of the Law Society of England and Wales.

Law Society of England and Wales president Christina Blacklaws said:

“We are delighted to have signed Memoranda of Understanding with the AIFC Court and IAC and to help with the promotion of English common law internationally.

The Law Society of England and Wales is committing to sharing best practices in English common law with our AIFC colleagues and working together to protect and strengthen the independence of the legal profession and rule of law in Kazakhstan. Our members are international in their outlook and the AIFC will provide an opportunity for our members to work alongside their Kazakh colleagues in the best interests of their clients.”

The Rt. Hon. The Lord Woolf CH, Chief Justice, AIFC Court, said:

“I am sure our cooperation by this Memorandum of Understanding will contribute to the further development and positive promotion of the rule of law in the UK, Kazakhstan, and globally. It will further emphasize the importance of international legal services and adherence to highest professional standards and conduct in the courts, including in our AIFC Court in Kazakhstan.”

Ms. Barbara Dohmann QC, Chairman, IAC, stated:

“The International Arbitration Centre, Astana, is delighted actively to cooperate with the Law Society of England and Wales and its members. The MOU between our two bodies will deepen our mutual understanding and assist in our work as the IAC aims to become the number one choice for alternative dispute resolution in Eurasia.”

At the seminar, UK legal practitioners had the opportunity to hear more about the AIFC Court and IAC, how to use their services, and future opportunities for cooperation and work for business clients in the CIS region.

The Law Society is a professional body that represents over 180,000 solicitors in England and Wales. It represents, promotes and supports solicitors. It works to ensure that no-one is above the law and aims to protect access to justice for all.

The Law Society will be actively involved in the educational and promotional activities of the AIFC Court and IAC. There will be joint seminars and training events to develop the legal profession as it relates to the AIFC Court and IAC through the highest standards of professionalism and client care.

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. 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.

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.

Today the AIFC Court and International Arbitration Centre (“the IAC”) officially launched their new e-filing system in Astana, “eJustice”, the first to operate in the Central Asia region. The system was developed in cooperation with the AIFC Court and IAC IT partner from Singapore, Crimson Logic.

eJustice is an online portal that enables parties to file cases at the AIFC Court and IAC electronically from anywhere around the world without having to be physically present in Astana. It can assist with the management of full end-to-end electronic processing of legal documents and administration in cases.

It aims to provide immediate convenience and accessibility at the AIFC Court and IAC to the legal and business communities while also supporting the judges, arbitrators, procedures and practices to ensure that commercial disputes are resolved quickly and cost effectively in accordance with the highest international standards.

At the launch the eJustice system was showcased to more than one hundred Kazakh lawyers, diplomats, and senior representatives of government authorities and national companies. A separate launch will also be held in Almaty on 27 February 2019.

The eJustice project was completed with regular engagement and constructive feedback from lawyers in the Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and international legal and business communities.

Advanced face to face training was provided to more than 35 Kazakh lawyers in Astana and Almaty from 18 until 22February 2019 to prepare future users of the AIFC Court and IAC to maximally use the system for the benefit of their clients. Further training will be provided on an ongoing basis.

The Rt. Hon. The Lord Woolf CH, Chief Justice at the AIFC Court, stated:

“The AIFC Court and IAC continually aim to be innovative and technologically advanced. One of the most important tasks for us was to develop a world class e-filing system which could overcome geographical barriers and maximise access to justice. The launch of eJustice is a significant achievement for the AIFC Court and IAC and will serve the users of these facilities well for years to come.”

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

“We are delighted to launch our eJustice system which will significantly enhance the timely and cost-effective resolution of disputes at the AIFC Court and IAC. We aim to provide the very best international standards of dispute resolution and eJustice is our latest innovation that will enable the AIFC Court and IAC to become the number one choice for civil and commercial dispute resolution in the Eurasia region.”

According to Mr. Saw Ken Wye, CEO at Crimson Logic, IT-company from Singapore, the eJustice system was developed using Chrysalis, a world-class product and proven application with out-of-the-box functions and features embraced by leading jurisdictions globally.

“The system was developed in record time. This record-time implementation is proof of the collaborative spirit between the AIFC and Crimson Logic. We are delighted to be a part of the AIFC Court’s and IAC’s drive to modernise and we are sure that this new system will be easy to use,” – added Mr. Saw Ken Wye.

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. 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.

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.

Crimson Logic is a partner to governments and businesses globally. For over 30 years, Crimson Logic has partnered customers to innovate sustainable world-class solutions, products and services in Trade, Legal and Digital Government, enabling significant transformations that have positively impacted governments, businesses and communities.

Mr. Christopher Campbell-Holt, the Registrar and Chief Executive of the AIFC Court and International Arbitration Centre (“the IAC”), has been awarded an Honorary Professorship by the M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University (“KAZGUU”) in recognition of the significant contribution he has made to the development of the University.

The award also recognizes Mr. Campbell-Holt’s contribution to the establishment of the common law system at the AIFC, the AIFC Court which is an independent common law commercial court, and the International Arbitration Centre. This is the first common law system, common law court, and international standard arbitration centre, to be established in Central Asia.

Previous recipients of the Honorary Professorship at KAZGUU include leaders from Central Asian and international academia, politics, diplomacy, and business.

Mr. Talgat Narikbayev, Rector and Chairman of the Board, M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University, stated:

“Mr. Christopher Campbell-Holt has made a significant impact on legal education of the M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University. He also has become an integral part of the academic community of our University.”

Mr. Campbell-Holt commented:

“It has been my pleasure and privilege to engage with KAZGUU and to meet its immensely impressive students. The AIFC Court and IAC very much look forward to continuing their close cooperation with KAZGUU as they continue to develop the Kazakhstan lawyers of the future while applying the very best international standards.”

In 2018 the AIFC Court and IAC cooperated closely with KAZGUU in the following ways:

• KAZGUU hosted a series of distinguished lectures on the English common law and AIFC Court common law procedures. The lectures were given by Lord Woolf, the AIFC Court Justices, and Ms. Barbara Dohmann QC.
• Also, KAZGUU hosted and participated in the AIFC Court and IAC’s 2018 “Legal Week”, which was also held in partnership with the AIFC Bureau for Continuing Professional Development. During “Legal Week” an intensive program on English commercial law was delivered to law students and senior practicing lawyers by Dr. Marc Moore, Director of the Masters in Corporate Law degree program at the University of Cambridge. KAZGUU also hosted throughout “Legal Week” the AIFC Court and IAC “Accredited Mediator Skills Program” which was provided by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution headquartered in London. Twelve Kazakh law and business professionals completed this highly regarded international standard mediator qualification as a part of the AIFC Court and IAC’s efforts to create an international standard mediator community in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• KAZGUU hosted the 2018 AIFC Court and IAC Moot Competition Final. The competition involved a common law problem requiring analysis and oral presentation of legal arguments applying common law principles in front of two AIFC Court judges, The Rt. Hon. Sir Robin Jacob and the Rt. Hon. Sir Stephen Richards, and an AIFC Court Visiting Judge and former Deputy President of the UK Supreme Court, The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mance. The Moot Final was attended by more than two hundred guests including H.E. The Minister of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Marat Beketayev, H.E. The UK Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan, Mr. Michael Gifford, and other distinguished guests including from the Judicial Academy of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

KAZGUU has a very successful history of law school mooting in the Republic of Kazakhstan and internationally with particular success at the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in Washington DC. Mr. Campbell-Holt also assisted as presiding judge at a separate KAZGUU International Mooting Competition.

In 2019 the AIFC Court and IAC will continue to cooperate with KAZGUU to deliver their international standard common law education and professional lawyer training programs to meet the needs of Kazakhstan lawyers in the Republic of Kazakhstan and other lawyers in Central Asia.

Reference:

Mr. Campbell-Holt has considerable experience as a commercial lawyer and founder of law institutions in the UK, US, Middle East, and Eurasia, including as a founder member of the Centre for Ethics and Law at University College London. He was the Registrar at a commercial common law court in Qatar under the Presidency of Lord Woolf and he has lectured and published widely. He was educated in Law (LLB) at University College London and is a CEDR accredited mediator.

The AIFC was established on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. In December2015 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 independentfrom 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 inwriting 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.

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 mediationexperience 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.