Professional Ethics at the International Bar

• Provides a clear assessment of the growing issue that no consistent ethical code applies to the increasing numbers of practitioners appearing before international courts, tribunals, and arbitral panels
• Draws on a detailed analysis of the procedures and practice of international courts, national standards of conduct and ethical traditions, and relevant international jurisprudence to formulate ethical standards
• Considers the conditions for the creation of an 'international bar' to regulate advocacy before international courts and tribunals

Over the past twenty years, the volume of international litigation and arbitration has increased exponentially. As the number of new international courts and tribunals has proliferated, the diversity and volume of advocates appearing before the international courts has also increased. With this increase, the ethical standards that apply to counsel have become a growing field of interest to practitioners of public international law. Problems threatening the integrity of the international judicial process and concerns about divergent ethical standards amongst counsel have multiplied in the international judicial system, prompting early attempts by senior members of the 'international bar' to articulate common ethical standards.

Professional Ethics at the International Bar examines the question of how to articulate common ethical standards for counsel appearing before international courts and tribunals, and the legal powers and practical ability of international courts to prescribe and enforce such standards. It conducts original research into both the theory and practice of the issues arising from this nascent process of professionalization. Using various sources, including interviews with judges, registrars, and senior practitioners, it argues that the professionalization of advocacy through the articulation of common ethical standards is both desirable and feasible in order to protect the integrity and fairness of the international judicial process.

Readership: Scholars and students in the field of international dispute settlement and international arbitration; international legal practitioners