Appointments

In accordance with the provisions of the ICC Constitution and the Statutes of the International Court of Arbitration, the ICC Council, at its 174th Session held on 5 December 1997, appointed three new Vice-Chairmen to the ICC Court. Prof. Piero Bernadini (Italy), Prof. Ahmed Sadek El-Kosheri (Egypt) and the Rt. Hon. The Lord Michael Mustill (United Kingdom) were appointed for the period extending from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 1999.

Piero Bernardini teaches arbitration law at the University of Rome; he is a member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration and of the Council of the Italian Arbitration Association. Ahmed Sadek El-Kosheri is ad hoc judge of the International Court of Justice, Vice-President of the ICC Commission on International Arbitration and Vice-President of Senghor University, where he is Professor of International Economic Law. Lord Mustill retired from the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords last year. A Fellow of the British Academy, he is President of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and Honorary Professor of Law at the University of Birmingham.

At the same session, the ICC Council appointed as members , for the period extending from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 1999: Garry Downes (Australia), Roderick Murphy (Ireland), Pierre Seimetz (Luxemburg) and Anvar Al-Fuzaie (Kuwait).

At its 175th Session held on 3 April 1998, the ICC Council appointed Michael Lee (United Kingdom) as Alternate Member for the period extending from 3 April 1998 to 31 December 1999.

Alfred Burckhardt (Switzerland) left his position as Vice-Chairman of the ICC Court after ten years of good and faithful service. He was warmly congratulated by Chairman Robert Briner for his major contribution to the broadening of the spirit of international cooperation.

Francis P. Donovan (Australia), Vice-Chairman of the ICC Court, was knighted in France last January. He was appointed Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur . His appointment appeared in the Journal officiel of 1 January 1998 on the list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dominique Hascher , General Counsel and Deputy Secretary General of the ICC Court, was appointed Chevalier dans l'ordre national du Mérite (Journal officiel of 15 May 1998, Ministry of Justice).[Page11:]

Gaudet Day: The Need for Speed and Trust

Helmut O. Maucher, President of the ICC, declared the 7 May 1998 Michel Gaudet Day which was celebrated at the ICC with a day of reflection on "The Need for Speed: The Acceleration of International Arbitration."

Homage was paid to the work in building peace and trade of Michel Gaudet - Chairman of the International Court of Arbitration from 1977 to 1988 and Member of the Council of the Institute of World Business Law from its inception in 1979 through 1997.

Speakers and participants from five continents including four Secretary-Generals of the ICC International Court of Arbitration participated in six interactive sessions addressing the emerging need for speed, the role of electronic means for dispute resolution, the acceleration of the procedure by the parties and the arbitrator, national courts and speedier international arbitration, and the way ahead.

During the lunch, Sigvard Jarvin, former General Counsel of the Court, recalled the number of innovations made by Chairman Gaudet to increase the efficiency of the Court. Fali S. Nariman, President of the International Council of Commercial Arbitration and Vice-Chairman of the Court, went on to highlight the rich contribution made by Chairman Gaudet to the growth of international arbitration. On behalf of ICC, ICCA and the AAA, Howard Holtzman, Vice Chairman of the Commission on International Arbitration, gave Chairman Gaudet a crystal sculpture of the number one on which was inscribed "first in the world of arbitration, first in the hearts of his friends".

During his remarks, Chairman Gaudet emphasized that speed can occur only if there is trust and encouraged all present to prepare the future. A Liber Amicorum Michel Gaudet will be published later this year based on the papers given at Michel Gaudet Day.