Originally from International Arbitration Court Decisions - 3rd Edition

JUDGMENTS BY THE SWISS SUPREME COURT RENDERED ON 10 NOVEMBER 2005 IN (1) CASE 4P.98/2005/svc AND (2) CASE 4P.154/2005/svc

(The “Republic of Lebanon v. FTMI & FTML” Cases)

Subject Matters:
(1) Validity of an exclusion agreement (excluding applications to courts to set aside an award). Effects of a partial exclusion agreement, namely the waiver to challenge an award due to lack of competence.
(2) Effects of an exclusion agreement on correction awards.

Findings:
(1) If the parties excluded the setting-aside of an award on grounds of jurisdiction, an application to set aside such an award will be considered only as to other possible grounds (and dismissed as to the jurisdictional grounds).
(2) In principle, exclusion agreements will also exclude setting-aside procedures against corrective awards.

Parties:
Claimant: The Republic of Lebanon
Claimant’s counsel in the court proceedings: Mr Xavier Favre-Bulle (Geneva) and Mr Antoine Korkmaz (Paris)
Respondents: France Telecom Mobile International (FTMI), France; Telecom Mobile Lebanon (FTML), Lebanon.
Respondent’s counsel in the court proceedings: Mr Pierre-Yves Gunter and Mr Sébastien Besson (Geneva)

Place of Court Proceedings:
Lausanne, Switzerland

Applicable Law:
Swiss Federal Private International Law Act of 18 December 1987, Articles 190 and 192.