Comparative Law Researches

Comparative Law Researches

Judicial Review Standards for the Validity of the Arbitration Agreement and the Arbitrator's Jurisdiction

Document Type : مقالات علمی پژوهشی

Authors
1 Associate Proffessor in Private Law, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Ph.D. Student in Private Law, Faculty of Law and Political Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
10.48311/clr.2025.117490.82784
Abstract
The principle of Kompetenz-Kompetenz )Competence-Competence (empowers the arbitral tribunal to determine the validity of the arbitration agreement before any other authority. However, this principle does not eliminate judicial supervision; rather, it transforms the timing and standards of such review into a challenging issue within various legal systems. Employing a descriptive-analytical method, this article examines two principal standards of judicial review: the Prima Facie Review and the De Novo Review. The central research question is which of these standards proves more effective at each of the four stages of judicial supervision (pre-arbitration, post-jurisdictional ruling, annulment proceedings, and enforcement stage). The findings indicate that applying the Prima Facie Review standard before the issuance of the arbitral award on jurisdiction is the most appropriate approach. Conversely, once the arbitral tribunal has ruled on its own jurisdiction, the application of the De Novo Review standard by courts is justifiable and may serve as a model for interpreting Article 461 of the Iranian Code of Civil Procedure, as well as the Iranian International Commercial Arbitration Law.
Keywords
Subjects

 
2-7) منابع انگلیسی
A) Books
1.    Born, G. B. (2020). International Commercial Arbitration, The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International.
2.    Gaillard, E. (1999). Fouchard Gaillard Goldman on International Commercial Arbitration, The Hague: Kluwer Law International.
3.    Harris, B., Planterose, R., & Tecks, J. (2007). The Arbitration Act 1996: A Commentary, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
4.    Rajoo, S. (2016). Law, Practice and Procedure of Arbitration, LexisNexis.
5.    Rubino-Sammartano, M. (2016). International Arbitration Law and Practice, JurisNet, LLC.
6.    UNCITRAL (2012). Digest of Case Law on the Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration.
7.    Wiliński, P. (2019). Excess of Powers in International Commercial Arbitration, Eleven International Publishing.
 
B) Articles
8.    Barcelo, J. J. III. (2021). “Who Decides the Arbitrators' Jurisdiction? Separability and Competence–Competence in Transnational Perspective”, Vanderbilt Law Review, 36, pp. 1115–1136.
9.    Bensaude, D. (2015). “French Code of Civil Procedure (Book IV)” In L. A. Mistelis (Ed.), Concise International Arbitration (2nd ed., pp. 1133–1188), Kluwer Law International.
10. Gaillard, E. (2012). “Commentaire analytique du décret du 13 janvier 2011 portant réforme du droit français de l'arbitrage”, Cahiers de l’Arbitrage, 2, pp. 5–25.
11. Gaillard, E., & Banifatemi, Y. (2008). “Negative Effect of Competence-Competence: The Rule of Priority in Favour of the Arbitrators”, In E. Gaillard & D. Di Pietro (Eds.), Enforcement of Arbitration Agreements and International Arbitral Awards (pp. 259–282), Cameron May Ltd.
12. Herlitz, G. N. (1994). “The Meaning of the Term ‘Prima Facie’”, Louisiana Law Review, 55, pp. 391–408.
13. Mills, A. (2020). “Arbitral Jurisdiction”, In T. Schultz & F. Ortino (Eds.), Oxford Handbook on International Arbitration (pp. 21–46), Oxford University Press.
14. Osadchiy, M. (2024). “Calibrating De Novo: Judicial Review of Arbitral Jurisdiction”, Journal of International Arbitration, 41(1), pp. 1–28.
15. Park, W. W. (2007). “The Arbitrator's Jurisdiction to Determine Jurisdiction”, Boston University School of Law, Public Law & Legal Theory Paper Series, No. 07–19.
 
[In Persian]:
A)  Books
16. Joneidi, L. (2013). Ejra-ye Araye Davari-ye Bazargani-ye Khareji [Enforcement of Foreign Commercial Arbitral Awards], Tehran: Shahr-e Danesh. [In Persian]
 
B) Articles
17. Ghamami, M. (2021). “Ta’sir-e Moteghabel-e Davari-ye Tejari va Davari-ye Sarmayegozari” [The Mutual Influence of Commercial Arbitration and Investment Arbitration], In N. Tabatabai-Hasari & S. Safizadeh (Eds.), Neshast-ha-ye Hoqooqi-ye Tatbighi (Proceedings of Comparative Legal Sessions) (pp. 32–37), Tehran: Majd. [In Persian]
18. Hoseinpour, M. J., & Ansari, A. (2024). “Taein-e Avaliye-ye Salahiyat-e Davari tavasot-e Dadgah-e Melli” [Preliminary Determination of Arbitral Jurisdiction by National Courts], Pajouhesh-haye Hoqooq-e Tatbighi (Comparative Law Studies), 28(4), pp. 1–25. [In Persian]
19. Karimi, S., Shamsi, J., & Soltani, M. (2023). “Asl-e Salahiyat-bar-Salahiyat dar Hoqooq-e Iran va France” [Principle of Competence-Competence in Iranian and French Law], Do-Faslname-ye Elmi Hoqooq-e Tatbighi (Biannual Journal of Comparative Law), 10(1), pp. 7–28. https://doi.org/10.22096/law.2023.534348.1917 [In Persian]
20. Mafi, H., Shamsi, J., & Akbari, M. (2023). “Tahlil-e Nezarat-e Qazayi-ye Dadgah bar Salahiyat-e Davari” [Judicial Review of Arbitral Jurisdiction by Courts], Taali-ye Hoqooq (Legal Excellence), 9(4), pp. 221–240. [In Persian]
21. Mansouri, A., & Amini, E. (2021). “Mahdoude-ye Nezarat-e Dadgah bar Ra’y-e Davari-ye Dakheli az Heis-e Re’ayat-e Qavanin-e Mojeb-e Haq ba Takiye bar Ruyeye Qazayi” [A Judicial Precedent-Based Approach to the Scope of Judicial Review of Internal Arbitral Awards in Terms of Constitutive Laws], Pajouhesh-e Hoqooq-e Khosousi (Private Law Research), 10(36), pp. 123–147. https://doi.org/10.22054/jplr.2019.43299.2230 [In Persian]
22. Rastbed, M., & Rostami, E. (2018). “Barrasi-ye Asl-e Esteqlal-e Shart-e Davari dar Hoqooq-e Iran va America” [Study the Separability of the Arbitration Clause in Iranian and American Law], Motale’at-e Hoqooq-e Tatbighi (Journal of Comparative Law), 9(2), pp. 619–638. https://doi.org/10.22059/jcl.2018. 241826.633544 [In Persian]
23. Safaei, S. H. (1998). “Sokhani Chand Darbare-ye Noavariha va Narasaeeha-ye Qanun-e Davari-ye Tejari-ye Beyn-ol-Melali” [A Few Words on Innovations and Deficiencies of the International Commercial Arbitration Law], Majalle-ye Daneshkade-ye Hoqooq va Olum-e Siyasi (Journal of the Faculty of Law and Political Science), 40, pp. 5–39. [In Persian]
24. Shamsi, J., & Mafi, H. (2023). “Asar-e Manfi-ye Asl-e Salahiyat Nesbat be Salahiyat dar Davari va Nafi-ye Salahiyat-e Dadgah” [The Negative Effect of Competence-Competence and Exclusion of Court Jurisdiction], Majalle-ye Hoqooqi-ye Beyn-ol-Melali (International Law Journal), 40(70), pp. 133–158. [In Persian]