NETHERLANDS 33

29 - 07 - 2009

NETHERLANDS 33

Yearbook Yearbook Commercial Arbitration, A.J. van den Berg (ed.), Vol. XXXIV (2009)
Jurisdiction The Netherlands
Summary

Netherlands 33. Rechtbank, Rotterdam, 29 July 2009

Related topics
201

The court discusses whether the dispute falls within the wording of the arbitration agreement; and whether claims in tort fall within the scope of the agreement.

Scope of arbitration agreement
203-204 Formal validity, uniform law and municipal law
220

The court discusses how to interpret the Convention’s requirement that the agreement is not null and void etc., as well as specific cases of invalidity: e.g., lack of consent (misrepresentation, duress, or fraud), vague wording of the arbitral clause; other terms of the contract contradict the intention to arbitrate, etc.

"Null and void", etc.
221

The court discusses which law – lex fori, lex contractus, law of the State where the award will be made – applies specifically to determining whether an agreement to arbitrate is “null and void etc.“, and, by extension, which law applies to determining the validity of arbitration agreements.

Law applicable to "Null and void", etc. (for formal validity and applicable law, see Art. II, ¶204)
222

The court discusses the principle of competence-competence, including whether the parties “intended to have arbitrability decided by an arbitrator”, and the separability of the arbitration agreement from the main contract.

Arbitrator's competence and separability of the arbitration clause
702

More-favorable right provision: The court discusses examples of domestic laws of countries where enforcement of foreign awards is more favorable.

Domestic law on enforcement of foreign award
NETHERLANDS 33