The ICC International Court of Arbitration has learned, with sadness, of François Perret’s passing on 5 June 2020 at the age of 83.

To those who had the privilege to cross his path, one would remember that Professor François Perret was a distinguished lawyer and eminent arbitrator who was passionate about international arbitration and comparative law.

He studied law in Geneva and New York before he completed a PH.D thesis in 1962. He was admitted to practice in Geneva and became Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva.

He was a tireless worker, driven by his passion for knowledge and justice.

As counsel and arbitrator, he was known to be pro-active. He knew his cases and was able, especially when he acted as President of the Arbitral Tribunal, to prepare and send - before a hearing - a preliminary partial draft award to his fellow members of the tribunal to reflect his thoughts on the issues at stake before any final decisions were made by the tribunal after the hearing of the parties and deliberation. Cases must be handled efficiently, so is the nature of arbitration.

He succeeded in his academic life as well. Not only did he find time to publish numerous articles and books in French, English and Italian, but he stayed available to his students. He also contributed to the development of international commercial law studies and practice around the world through his invaluable involvement as an active member of the Council of the ICC Institute of World Business Law (2010-2017) and also of the ICC Institute of World Business Law Prize which was launched in 2007.

On behalf of the Court, I wish to thank him for his eminent contribution to the field of international law and to the work of the ICC. He will be greatly missed by the ICC family, his friends and colleagues.

My thoughts also go to his family, Gilberte his wife and Yuri their son.