The Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements

Antonin I. Pribetic, Steinberg Morton Hope & Israel LLP

Abstract

The Hague Choice of Court Convention, concluded on June 30th, 2005, represents a significant step forward towards improved harmonization of international trade law by providing greater certainty and predictability for parties involved in business-to-business (B2B) agreements and transnational litigation. The Hague Choice of Court Convention offers a viable alternative to arbitration as a method of transnational dispute resolution. At a minimum, functional reciprocity between Contracting States is more likely to be achieved through this multilateral treaty, which codifies the private international law principles of comity, good faith and order and fairness, espoused by most common law courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada.