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INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION ACT 1974 - NOTES

Act No. 136 of 1974 as amended

This compilation was prepared on 10 July 2008
taking into account amendments up to Act No. 73 of 2008

The text of any of those amendments not in force
on that date is appended in the Notes section

The operation of amendments that have been incorporated may be
affected by application provisions that are set out in the Notes section

Prepared by the Office of Legislative Drafting and Publishing,
Attorney‑General's Department,
Canberra

  

  

  


Contents

Part I--Preliminary                                                                                                                 1

1............ Short title of Principal Act [see Note 1] ............................................. 1

2............ Commencement [see Note 1] .............................................................. 1

2A......... Territories ........................................................................................... 1

2B......... Crown to be bound ............................................................................. 1

2C......... Carriage of goods by sea ..................................................................... 1

Part II--Enforcement of foreign awards                                                                     2

3............ Interpretation ...................................................................................... 2

7............ Enforcement of foreign arbitration agreements ................................... 3

8............ Recognition of foreign awards ............................................................ 4

9............ Evidence of awards and arbitration agreements .................................. 6

10.......... Evidence relating to Convention ......................................................... 6

10A....... Delegation by Secretary to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade               7

12.......... Effect of this Part on other laws ......................................................... 7

13.......... Judiciary Act ...................................................................................... 8

14.......... Application of Part ............................................................................. 8

Part III--International Commercial Arbitration                                                    9

Division 1--Preliminary                                                                                               9

15.......... Interpretation ...................................................................................... 9

Division 2--Model Law                                                                                              10

16.......... Model Law to have force of law ....................................................... 10

17.......... Interpretation of Model Law--use of extrinsic material .................. 10

18.......... Courts specified for purposes of Article 6 of Model Law ............... 10

19.......... Articles 34 and 36 of Model Law--public policy ........................... 11

20.......... Chapter VIII of Model Law not to apply in certain cases ............... 11

21.......... Settlement of dispute otherwise than in accordance with Model Law 11

Division 3--Optional provisions                                                                            12

22.......... Application of optional provisions .................................................. 12

23.......... Orders under Article 17 of the Model Law ...................................... 12

24.......... Consolidation of arbitral proceedings ............................................... 12

25.......... Interest up to making of award ......................................................... 14

26.......... Interest on debt under award ............................................................ 14

27.......... Costs ................................................................................................. 14

Division 4--Miscellaneous                                                                                       16

28.......... Liability of arbitrator ........................................................................ 16

29.......... Representation in proceedings .......................................................... 16

30.......... Application of Part ........................................................................... 17

Part IV--Application of the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and Nationals of Other States                                                                              18

Division 1--Preliminary                                                                                             18

31.......... Interpretation .................................................................................... 18

Division 2--Investment Convention                                                                   19

32.......... Application of Investment Convention to Australia ........................ 19

33.......... Award is binding ............................................................................... 19

34.......... Investment Convention awards to prevail over other laws .............. 19

35.......... Recognition of awards ...................................................................... 19

Division 3--Miscellaneous                                                                                       20

36.......... Evidence relating to Investment Convention .................................... 20

37.......... Representation in proceedings .......................................................... 20

38.......... Judiciary Act .................................................................................... 20

Schedule 1--United Nations Conference on International Commercial Arbitration Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards         22

Schedule 2--UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (as adopted by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law on 21 June 1985)           28

Schedule 3--Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes Between States and Nationals of Other States                                                                                                                         44

Notes                                                                                                                                             67


An Act relating to the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards, and the conduct of international commercial arbitrations, in Australia, and for related purposes

  

Notes to the International Arbitration Act 1974

Note 1

The International Arbitration Act 1974 as shown in this compilation comprises Act No. 136, 1974 amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Acts

Act

Number
and year

Date
of Assent

Date of commencement

Application, saving or transitional provisions

Arbitration (Foreign Awards and Agreements) Act 1974

136, 1974

9 Dec 1974

Ss. 1--3: Royal Assent
Remainder:
24 June 1975 (see Gazette 1975, No. G24, p. 2)

 

Jurisdiction of Courts (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 1979

19, 1979

28 Mar 1979

Parts II--XVII
(ss. 3--123): 15 May 1979 (see Gazette 1979, No. S86)
Remainder: Royal Assent

S. 124

Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1987

141, 1987

18 Dec 1987

S. 3: Royal Assent (a)

S. 5(1)

International Arbitration Amendment Act 1989

25, 1989

15 May 1989

12 June 1989

--

ICSID Implementation Act 1990

107, 1990

18 Dec 1990

Parts 2 and 3
(ss. 3--8): 1 June 1991 (see s. 2(2) and Gazette 1991, No. S98)
Remainder: Royal Assent

--

Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1991

160, 1991

31 Oct 1991

S. 21: Royal Assent (b)

--

Law and Justice Legislation Amendment Act 2004

62, 2004

26 May 2004

Schedule 1 (items 40--42): 27 May 2004

--

Statute Law Revision Act 2008

73, 2008

3 July 2008

Schedule 4 (items 348--350): 4 July 2008

--


(a)     The International Arbitration Act 1974 was amended by section 3 only of the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1987, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to this section, this Act shall come into operation on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.

(b)    The International Arbitration Act 1974 was amended by section 21 only of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Act 1991, subsection 2(1) of which provides as follows:

                 (1)   Subject to subsection (2), this Act commences on the day on which it receives the Royal Assent.


Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted     am. = amended     rep. = repealed     rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

Title......................................

rs. No. 25, 1989

Part I

 

Heading to Part I..................

ad. No. 25, 1989

S. 1......................................

am. No. 25, 1989

S. 2......................................

am. No. 62, 2004

Ss. 2A, 2B...........................

ad. No. 25, 1989

S. 2C...................................

ad. No. 25, 1989

 

rs. No. 160, 1991

Part II

 

Heading to Part II.................

ad. No. 25, 1989

S. 3......................................

am. No. 25, 1989

S. 4......................................

rep. No. 62, 2004

Ss. 5, 6................................

rep. No. 25, 1989

S. 7......................................

am. No. 25, 1989

S. 8......................................

am. No. 19, 1979; No. 25, 1989; No. 73, 2008

S. 9......................................

am. No. 25, 1989; No. 73, 2008

S. 10....................................

am. No. 25, 1989; No. 62, 2004

S. 10A.................................

ad. No. 141, 1987

S. 11....................................

rep. No. 25, 1989

Ss. 12--14............................

am. No. 25, 1989

Part III

 

Part III ..................................

ad. No. 25, 1989

Division 1

 

S. 15....................................

ad. No. 25, 1989

Division 2

 

Ss. 16--21............................

ad. No. 25, 1989

Division 3

 

Ss. 22--27............................

ad. No. 25, 1989

Division 4

 

Ss. 28--30............................

ad. No. 25, 1989

Part IV

 

Part IV ................................

ad. No. 107, 1990

Division 1

 

S. 31....................................

ad. No. 107, 1990

Division 2

 

Ss. 32--35............................

ad. No. 107, 1990

Division 3

 

Ss. 33--38............................

ad. No. 107, 1990

Schedules

 

Heading to Schedule...........

rep. No. 25, 1989

Heading to Schedule 1........

ad. No. 25, 1989

Schedule 2..........................

ad. No. 25, 1989

Schedule 3..........................

ad. No. 107, 1990


 



*              Article headings are for reference purposes only and are not to be used for purposes of interpretation.

 

* *            The term "commercial" should be given a wide interpretation so as to cover matters arising from all relationships of a commercial nature, whether contractual or not. Relationships of a commercial nature include, but are not limited to, the following transactions: any trade transaction for the supply or exchange of goods or services; distribution agreement; commercial representation or agency; factoring; leasing; construction of works; consulting; engineering; licensing; investment; financing; banking; insurance; exploitation agreement or concession; joint venture and other forms of industrial or business co-operation; carriage of goods or passengers by air, sea, rail or road.

 

* **            The conditions set forth in this paragraph are intended to set maximum standards. It would, thus, not be contrary to the harmonization to be achieved by the model law if a State retained even less onerous conditions.