General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW6099 /JDOC6099 |
| Course name: | International Commercial Arbitration |
| Programme offered under: | LLM Programme / JD Programme |
| Semester: | June |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Credit point value: | 9 credits / 6 credits |
1.2 Course description
International commercial arbitration is well established as the preferred binding mechanism for resolving cross-border commercial disputes. It has seen particularly marked growth and acceptance in the last 20-30 years, including in the Asia Pacific region. The law and practice of international commercial arbitration, while scarcely regulated, has evolved into a highly specialized craft based on international best practices. This course will consider the international and domestic legal framework for international commercial arbitration, as well as the broader regime including international arbitration rules, international arbitration institutions and organizations and international arbitration practices. However, a key focus will be the inside workings of international arbitrations, revealing the sometimes obscure practices of the discipline. The main topics covered include the making and enforcement of arbitration agreements, establishment of and powers of arbitration tribunals, jurisdictional issues, applicable law (both procedural and substantive), arbitration procedure and evidence, interim and final remedies and rendering and enforcement of arbitration awards (including challenges and appeals). The course will be taught with case examples principally from the Asia Pacific region, and extensive examples from the practices of well known arbitral institutions, such as the ICC International Court of Arbitration, and of arbitrators sitting under the auspices of the ICC. The course will also include a discussion of investment treaty arbitration and the differences to international commercial arbitration.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Peter Malanczuk | malanczuk@gmail.com | N/A | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Be familiar with a critical analysis of the form and nature of conflicts and disputes in international commercial transactions, the increasing complexity of such conflicts and disputes in a globalizing economy, and the risks inherent in such international transactions (including economic, financial, monetary, political, and legal risks);
CLO 2 Be competent in critically analysing the use of arbitration to resolve international business and commercial disputes and its use and application in the HKSAR and in the Asian region generally. Students should be familiar with various issues concerning the arbitral process including jurisdiction, legal framework and enforceability, arbitral process and procedures, and confidentiality;
CLO 3 Be familiar with a contextual analysis of the process and procedures of international commercial arbitration through class readings, seminar discussions, and videotape analysis. The theoretical material will be combined with practical examples to give students a better understanding of the unique characteristics of international commercial arbitration; and
CLO 4 Be familiar with the ways in which the various benefits of international commercial arbitration and other hybrid dispute resolution methods can be combined to provide an effective, dynamic and integrated system of dispute resolution in international business and commerce.
2.2 LLM and JD Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link:
LLM – https://course.law.hku.hk/llm-plo/
JD – https://course.law.hku.hk/jd-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Class participation | N/A | 10% | 1 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Research paper | TBC | 90% | 1 | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be confirmed by the convenor(s).
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar: | 3-hour seminars in an intensive mode in June 2025 |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit unit is 25 ± 5 hours (ie. 150 ± 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by the course convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | Nigel Blackaby, Constantine Partasides, Alan Redfern, Redfern and Hunter on International Arbitration, 7th ed. (Oxford University Press 2022). (“Redfern & Hunter”) |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/