Amicus Curiae before International Courts and Tribunals (eBook)

Cover 1
Chapter § 1 Introduction 25
A. Structure 29
B. Methodology 30
C. Scope of the study 34
Part I The ‘international’ amicus curiae 41
Chapter § 2 Great expectations? Presumed functions and drawbacks of amicus curiae participation 43
A. Presumed functions of amicus curiae 43
I. Broader access to information 43
II. Representation of ‘the’ public interest 47
III. Legitimacy and democratization 53
IV. Contribution to the coherence of international law 59
V. Increased transparency 62
B. Presumed drawbacks 64
I. Practical burdens 65
II. Compromising the parties’ rights 65
III. Politicization of disputes, de-legitimization and lobbyism 67
IV. Overwhelming developing countries 70
V. Unmanageable quantities of submissions 71
VI. Denaturing of the judicial function 72
C. Conclusion 72
Chapter § 3 An international instrument 73
A. Amicus curiae before national courts 74
I. The origins of amicus curiae 74
II. Amicus curiae before the English courts 76
III. Amicus curiae before the United States Federal Courts and the Supreme Court 81
IV. Internationalization: amicus curiae in civil law systems and in inter- and supranational legal instruments 86
V. Comparative analysis 90
B. Emergence and rise of amicus curiae before international courts and tribunals 91
I. International Court of Justice 91
II. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 100
III. European Court of Human Rights 103
IV. Inter-American Court of Human Rights 106
V. African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights 108
VI. WTO Appellate Body and panels 109
VII. Investor-state arbitration 115
C. Conclusion 121
Chapter § 4 Characteristics, status and function of amicus curiae before international courts 123
A. Characteristics of the international amicus curiae 123
I. A procedural instrument 124
II. A non-party and a non-party instrument 126
III. Transmission of information 129
IV. An interested participant 130
V. An instrument of non-state actors? 132
B. Functions of the international amicus curiae 132
I. Information-based amicus curiae 133
II. Interest-based amicus curiae 138
1. International Court of Justice and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 139
2. European Court of Human Rights 140
3. Inter-American Court of Human Rights 144
4. WTO Appellate Body and panels 146
5. Investor-state arbitration 148
6. Comparative analysis 152
III. Systemic amicus curiae 152
IV. Analysis 154
1. The myth of ‘the’ international amicus curiae 155
2. An evolving concept 156
3. Are there limits to the functions amici curiae may assume? 156
C. Amicus curiae and other forms of non-party participation 157
I. International Court of Justice and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 159
II. WTO Appellate Body and panels 164
III. Investor-state arbitration 168
IV. Comparative analysis 171
D. Conclusion 172
Part II Commonalities and divergences: the procedural laws of amicus curiae participation 175
Chapter § 5 Admission of amicus curiae to the proceedings 177
A. Legal bases for amicus curiae participation 177
I. International Court of Justice 180
II. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 191
III. European Court of Human Rights 195
IV. Inter-American Court of Human Rights 197
V. African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights 200
VI. WTO Appellate Body and panels 202
1. Panels 202
2. Appellate Body 207
VII. Investor-state arbitration 213
1. Clauses in investment treaties 213
2. Clauses in institutional procedural rules 215
3. Implied powers 222
4. Ad hoc agreements 224
VIII. Comparative analysis 225
1. Codification and informal doctrine precedent? 226
2. Common regulatory approaches 227
B. Conditions concerning the person of amicus curiae 228
I. International Court of Justice 229
II. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 231
III. European Court of Human Rights 235
IV. Inter-American Court of Human Rights 241
V. African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights 246
VI. WTO Appellate Body and panels 247
VII. Investor-state arbitration 250
1. Legal standards 250
2. Application 253
VIII. Comparative analysis 261
C. Request for leave procedures 266
I. Formal requirements 269
1. Timing 269
2. Form and length 283
II. Substantive requirements concerning the application 284
1. International Court of Justice 284
2. European Court on Human Rights 284
3. African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights 286
4. WTO Appellate Body and panels 286
5. Investor-state arbitration 287
a) Legal standards 287
b) Application 288
aa) Special knowledge or insight 289
bb) Within the scope of the dispute 292
cc) Significant interest in the arbitration 294
dd) Public interest in the subject matter of the arbitration 300
c) Assessment 303
III. Full discretion: decision on admissibility 304
IV. Comparative analysis 312
D. Conclusion 314
Chapter § 6 Amici curiae in the proceedings 317
A. Oral and written participation 318
I. International Court of Justice 318
II. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 319
III. European Court of Human Rights 320
IV. Inter-American Court of Human Rights 323
V. African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights 325
VI. WTO Appellate Body and panels 326
VII. Investor-state arbitration 328
VIII. Comparative Analysis 330
1. Confidential and/or private nature of the dispute settlement mechanism 331
2. Regulatory reasons 332
3. Efficiency, costs and control 332
4. Personal views of judges 332
B. Recorded participation 332
C. Formalization of participation 334
I. Form of written submissions 335
1. Length 335
2. Language 336
3. Authentification 339
4. Failure to comply 342
II. Comparative analysis 343
D. Substantive requirements and the content of submissions 345
I. International Court of Justice and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 346
II. European Court of Human Rights 350
III. Inter-American Court of Human Rights 362
IV. African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights 369
V. WTO Appellate Body and panels 370
VI. Investor-state arbitration 381
1. Legal standards 381
2. Particular knowledge or perspective: human rights and EU law? 382
3. Within the scope of the dispute 388
4. Applicable law and its limits 393
VII. Comparative analysis 401
E. Submission of evidence 404
F. Access to documents 408
I. International Court of Justice and International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 409
II. European Court of Human Rights, Inter-American Court of Human Rights and African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights 411
III. WTO Appellate Body and panels 412
IV. Investor-state arbitration 417
V. Comparative analysis 425
G. Conclusion 425
Part III The added value of the international amicus curiae 429
Chapter § 7 Does content matter? Substantive effectiveness of amicus curiae submissions 431
A. An obligation to consider? 433
B. International Court of Justice 435
C. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 440
D. European Court of Human Rights 443
E. Inter-American Court of Human Rights 450
F. African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights 459
G. WTO Appellate Body and panels 459
H. Investor-state arbitration 469
I. Comparative analysis 479
I. Why the hesitation? 482
II. Elements of successful briefs 484
III. Limits to the consideration of briefs 484
J. Conclusion 487
Chapter § 8 Effects on the international dispute settlement system 489
A. Effect on the relationship between the court, the disputing parties and the member states: amici curiae as evidence of an assertive international judiciary? 490
I. International Court of Justice 491
II. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 493
III. European Court of Human Rights and African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights 493
IV. Inter-American Court of Human Rights 493
V. WTO Appellate Body and panels 494
VI. Investor-state arbitration 499
VII. Comparative analysis 504
B. Public interest: amicus curiae as motor and evidence of an expanding judicial function? 504
I. International Court of Justice 507
II. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea 510
III. European Court of Human Rights 511
IV. Inter-American Court of Human Rights 512
V. WTO Appellate Body and panels 513
VI. Investor-state arbitration 517
VII. Comparative Analysis 521
1. The right agent? 522
2. Denaturation of judicial proceedings? 523
C. Amicus curiae as a tool to increase the legitimacy of international adjudication? 525
I. Procedural legitimacy 526
II. Substantive legitimacy 529
III. Conditions: representativity and accountability 531
D. Increased coherence? Impact on international law 535
E. Transparency: demise of confidentiality and access to the proceedings and case documents? 538
F. Impact on locus standi: amicus curiae as a precursor to international legal standing? 542
G. And the drawbacks? 546
I. Parties’ rights 547
1. Due process 548
2. Procedural fairness and equality between the parties 557
II. Practical burdens 561
1. Right to a speedy trial and undue delay? 561
2. Exploding costs? 562
H. Conclusion 567
Chapter § 9 Conclusion 569
A. What is it? 569
B. Added value of amicus curiae participation in international dispute settlement 571
Annex I: Cases with amicus curiae involvement 575
Methodology 575
Annex II 705
Bibliography 707