The IAF Insider
News
A daily digest of international arbitration news — awards, court rulings, institutional and treaty developments — drawn from freely available articles and summarised with AI. Every story links to its sources.
Issue No. 1 · Saturday 24 October 2026
ICC tribunal rejects Tullow's challenge to Ghana's US$393 million tax assessment
An ICC award on reviewing a host state's tax assessment under petroleum agreements leads today's issue. Also: how the English and Australian appellate courts approached India's immunity under the New York Convention, Germany's top civil court on third-party notices to arbitrators, CORD's new arbitration rules, and the growth of defence-procurement arbitration.
Investment arbitration · Africa
ICC tribunal upholds jurisdiction but dismisses Tullow Ghana's challenge to US$393m tax assessment
A London-seated ICC tribunal rejected Tullow Ghana Limited's contractual challenge to a USD 393.1 million tax-and-penalty assessment by the Ghana Revenue Authority, in a final award dated 22 September 2026. The tribunal was chaired by Albert Jan van den Berg, with Michael Pryles and J. Christopher Thomas. The assessment comprised about USD 196.5 million in income tax plus a 100% penalty. It concerned business-interruption insurance proceeds of about USD 561.6 million that Tullow's parent received after the Jubilee field FPSO's turret bearings were damaged in 2016.
Aceris Law
Read the summary →Courts and enforcement · Global
Australian and English appellate courts agree New York Convention ratification is not a waiver of immunity
Lawyers at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer compare two decisions from earlier this year. The High Court of Australia ruled in April 2026 and the Court of Appeal of England and Wales in June 2026. Both concerned awards won by Mauritian investors against India under the terminated 1998 Mauritius–India BIT, arising from India's annulment of a satellite S-Band spectrum lease. The awards valued the investment at US$740 million. Both courts held that India did not waive its immunity from recognition and enforcement proceedings by ratifying the New York Convention.
Daily Jus
Read the summary →Courts and enforcement · Europe
German Federal Court of Justice allows third-party notice on an arbitrator in set-aside proceedings
In a decision of 30 July 2026 (I ZB 6/26), the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) held that a party may serve a third-party notice on an arbitrator in court proceedings to set aside an award or declare it enforceable. The underlying DIS award was challenged on the basis that an arbitrator had failed to disclose links to a law firm that had advised the claimant. The claimant served the notice to preserve a possible damages claim against the arbitrator. The Bavarian Highest Regional Court had refused service, treating arbitrators like judges and court experts by analogy.
Daily Jus
Read the summary →Rules and legislation · Asia-Pacific
India's CORD adopts 2026 rules with complexity-based fees, delay costs, AI limits and optional appeals
The Centre for Online Resolution of Disputes (CORD), an India-based digital institution, introduced new Rules of Arbitration on 4 September 2026. The rules are described by CORD's co-founder and CEO. Under Rule 9, cases are placed in one of three tiers based on value and complexity, with arbitrator fees ranging from 60% to 140% of the model fee scale in India's Arbitration and Conciliation Act. Rule 15 makes a daily cost payable to CORD when a party misses a deadline, unless the tribunal or Registrar grants an exemption with written reasons.
Daily Jus
Read the summary →Commercial arbitration · Europe
Ukraine war procurement drives a growing number of defence arbitrations
Kennedys partner Oleg Shaulko argues that defence disputes are becoming a distinct area of arbitration practice. He cites a reported US$347 million LCIA claim by Ukraine's SpetsTechnoExport against US exporter Regulus Global over artillery and rocket contracts. Other examples are an award of more than US$18 million that Ukraine announced in January 2026 from a Swiss Arbitration Centre case over undelivered ammunition, and a reported claim of about €59 million in Switzerland by Estonia's Centre for Defence Investments against an Indian-owned shell supplier. He also notes reports that about 10% of new 2025 cases at Ukraine's ICAC were defence-related.
Daily Jus
Read the summary →In brief
- Resolve Academy authors compare sports arbitration frameworks and argue for a hybrid model that keeps CAS expertise while accepting greater judicial accountability for decisions affecting athletes' fundamental rights. Daily Jus ↗
Summaries are written with AI from freely available articles and are no substitute for the original sources, which are linked with every story. Nothing here is legal advice.