2024年10月3日,English Commercial Court ("英国法院")在Investcom Global Limited v. Plc Investments Limited一案(案号:[2024] EWHC 2505 (Comm))中作出裁定:根据《ICC仲裁规则》第18条规定,国际商会仲裁院(“ICC”)已将仲裁地确定为加拿大多伦多,英国法院无权对被告(“Plc等”)在利比里亚提起的诉讼发出反诉禁令和反强制执行禁令。
Investcom与Plc签署股东协议(“SHA”)和管理与技术支持合同(“MA”)。SHA约定争议通过仲裁解决,适用利比里亚法律并在利比里亚境外的任何国际商会。MA约定协议适用利比里亚法律,争议应通过仲裁解决,由伦敦国际商会进行仲裁,仲裁地为英国伦敦。
Investcom因双方之间纠纷分别依据SHA和MA的仲裁条款向ICC提起仲裁(“SHA仲裁案”和“MA仲裁案”)。Plc等则在利比里亚提起多起诉讼,其中包括针对SHA仲裁案及MA仲裁案提起的要求中止仲裁程序的诉讼案(“中止SHA仲裁程序诉讼案”、“中止MA仲裁程序诉讼案”)。随后,Investcom向英国法院申请反诉禁令和反强制执行禁令,并获得法院限制Plc在利比里亚的任何相关行为的广泛禁令。
Clauses 15.3 and 15.4 of the SHA:
15.3 The law of Liberia shall be the proper law of this Agreement and shall be applied in any international chamber of commerce outside Liberia.
15.4 Disputes arising from or in connection with this agreement shall be settled by arbitration. In such event each party hereto shall nominate an arbitrator and the two arbitrators so nominated shall jointly nominate a third arbitrator who shall chair the arbitration committee. The decision of this arbitration committee must be binding for both parties. Each party agrees to waive to the fullest extent possible at law any entitlement it might otherwise have to seek judicial review.
Clause 13 of the MA: