David Bateson, a partner at Mallesons Stephen Jaques in Hong Kong, reports on the latest Kaplan lecture, in which UK appeal court judge Lord Justice Bernard Rix found inspiration in an Oscar Wilde quote on the nature of “truth”.

Albert Monichino SC, a senior counsel and arbitrator at List A Barristers in Melbourne, considers a recent decision of the High Court of Australia that tackled conflicting case law on the standard of reasons required of an arbitrator in a domestic arbitration context (with potential impact on the Model Law scheme).

In its first Dutch seminar, the ICC Young Arbitrators Forum teamed up with Dutch arbitration boutique Conway & Partners and the Permanent Court of Arbitration for an event to consider the recent revisions of the ICC and UNCITRAL arbitration rules and the IBA rules on evidence. Thabiso van den Bosch of Conway & Partners reports on the event last week.

As Venezuela confirms its denunciation of the ICSID Convention, Mark Robertson and Andy Moody of Eversheds in London consider what it means for investors.

Joseph Profaizer and Daniel Prince, partner and associate at Paul Hastings in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles, consider the availability of injunctive relief in aid of international arbitration in the US federal courts, identifying an unfortunate jurisdictional divide.

Author: Ivar Alvik. Published by Hart, 2011. Reviewed by Kaj Hobér, partner at Mannheimer Swartling in Stockholm

In an unusual move, the US Supreme Court has simultaneously granted review of, and summarily reversed, a state court’s denial of a motion to compel arbitration. Hagit Elul, partner at Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP in New York and Los Angeles, says the decision confirms US courts' pro-arbitration stance and signals that they will enforce agreements to arbitrate even where there are parallel court proceedings involving the same dispute.

The International Commercial Arbitration Court at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine (ICAC Ukraine) has adopted new rules for the administering of UNCITRAL arbitrations. Yuliya Chernykh, a partner at Arbitrade in Kiev, reports.

The Supreme Court of Victoria recently determined the nature of arbitration "by reference to considerations of general justice and fairness." Phillip Landolt, partner at Landolt & Koch in Geneva, says the decision gives rare insight into how arbitrators' equitable powers are construed.

Melanie Willems, a partner at Chadbourne & Parke in London, considers the issue of arbitrability, in light of the rare judicial analysis of the topic in the recent English Court of Appeal decision, Fulham Football Club (1987) Ltd v Richards, and other cases.

The new ICC Rules of Arbitration are are now in force, but members of the task force that drafted them continue tirelessly to highlight the changes to lawyers and users in different jurisdictions. Eda Cerrahoglu Balssen and Defne Sirakaya of Cerrahoglu Law Firm in Istanbul report on a recent event in their city.