International Commercial Arbitration Discourse: A Corpus-Based Study of Complex Prepositions in Arbitral Awards


Abstract


In today’s globalized world, the increase in international disputes has led to a greater reliance on arbitration for dispute resolution (Born 2001, p. 1; Bhatia et al. 2018, p. 1; Gotti 2008, p. 221). Arbitral awards, the outcomes of these proceedings, are vital for understanding the evolution of international arbitration practices (Bhatia et al. 2012, 1). Historically, arbitral awards were underexplored due to the confidential nature of arbitration (Bhatia et al. 2012, p. 1). However, the past decade has seen a shift towards greater transparency, with more awards being published to aid legal development (Bhatia 2010, p. 468; Mourre, Vagenheim 2023, p. 265; Resnik et al. 2020, p. 612). The launch of Jus Mundi in 2019, an AI-powered legal search engine, has further democratized access to a wide range of legal information through its partnerships with global arbitral institutions. This technological advancement enhances access to legal knowledge and discoursal data (Bhatia 1993; Swales 1990). This research builds on the work of leading scholars in arbitration discourse (Bhatia et al. 2003, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2018), collecting a selection of English-language arbitral awards via Jus Mundi for linguistic analysis. The study asserts that cultural differences persist in the reasoning within arbitration, reflecting the influence of legal traditions on linguistic choices (Gotti 2008, p. 232). This perspective aligns with the idea that texts and genres are intertwined with their institutional and professional contexts (Bhatia et al. 2012, p. 1). Legal discourse, shaped by its environment (Fairclough, Wodak 1997, p. 276), varies across legal systems. Focusing on corpus linguistics, this study examines the use of complex prepositions signaling textual authority (Bhatia 1998) in arbitral awards from various arbitration seats, using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The emphasis on complex prepositions is justified by their importance in legal English, suggesting significant findings can be expected

Keywords: International commercial arbitration; Arbitration discourse; Arbitral awards; Corpus linguistics; Complex prepositions

References


Adejare R.A. 2020, A Corpus-Based Study of Complex Prepositions in a Non-Native English Variety, in “Open Journal of Modern Linguistics” 10 [4], pp. 215-259.

Baker P. 2010, Corpus Methods in Linguistics, in Litosseliti L. (ed.), Research Methods in Linguistics, Continuum, London, pp. 93-113.

Bhatia V.K. 1993, Analysing Genre. Language Use in Professional Settings, Longman, London and New York.

Bhatia V.K. 1998, Intertextuality in legal discourse, in “The Language Teacher” 22 [11], pp. 13-39.

Bhatia V.K. 2006, Legal Genres, in Brown K. (ed.), Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics, Elsevier, Amsterdam and London, pp. 1-7.

Bhatia V.K. 2010, Accessibility of Discoursal Data in Critical Genre Analysis: International Commercial Arbitration Practice, in “Linguagem em (Dis) curso” 10, pp. 465-483.

Bhatia V.K. 2014, Worlds of Written Discourse: A Genre-Based View, Continuum, London.

Bhatia V.K., Candlin C., Engberg J. and Trosborg A. 2003, Multilingual and Multicultural Contexts of Legislation: An International Perspective, Peter Lang, Bern.

Bhatia V.K., Candlin C. and Engberg J. 2008, Concepts, Contexts and Procedures in Arbitration Discourse, in Bhatia V.K., Candlin C. and Engberg J (eds.), Discourse Across Cultures and Systems, Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong, pp. 3-32.

Bhatia V.K., Candlin C. and Sharma R. 2009, Confidentiality and Integrity in International Commercial Arbitration Practice, in “Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management” 75 [1], pp. 2-13.

Bhatia V.K., Garzone G. and Degano C. 2012, Arbitration Awards: Generic Features and Textual Realisations. An Introduction, in Bhatia V.K., Garzone G. and Degano C. (eds.), Arbitration Awards: Generic Features and Textual Realisations, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Cambridge, pp. 1-12.

Bhatia V.K. and Lung J. 2012, Analysing International Commercial Arbitration Awards as Genre, in Bhatia V.K., Garzone G. and Degano C. (eds.), Arbitration Awards: Generic Features and Textual Realisations, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, pp. 21-46.

Bhatia V.K., Rajoo S., Hashim A., Gotti M. and Koh P. 2018, Introduction, in Bhatia V.K., Gotti M., Hashim A., Koh P. and Rajoo S. (eds.), International Arbitration Discourse and Practices in Asia, Routledge, Abingdon and New York, pp. 1-3.

Biber D., Johansson S., Leech G., Conrad S. and Finegan E. 1999, The Longman Grammar of Spoken and Written English, Longman, London.

Biel L. 2014, Lost in the Eurofog. The Textual Fit of Translated Law, Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main.

Born G.B. 2001, International Commercial Arbitration: Commentary and Materials, Kluwer Law International, The Hague.

Born G.B. 2021, International Commercial Arbitration, Kluwer Law International, Alphen aan den Rijn.

Brezina V. 2018, Statistics in Corpus Linguistics: A Practical Guide, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Catenaccio P. 2016, Cultural Variation in Arbitration Journals: The International Court of Arbitration Bulletin and Arbitration International Compared, in Bhatia V.K., Candlin C. and Gotti M. (eds.), Discourse and Practice in International Commercial Arbitration: Issues, Challenges and Prospects, Ashgate, London, pp. 163- 178.

Chan C.H. 2018, Hong Kong Bilingual Legislation and Plain Language Drafting: A Communicative Approach, in “Multilingua” 37 [6], pp. 681-700.

Cordero-Moss G. 2021, The Role of the Lex Arbitri, in Chin L (ed.), The Cambridge Companion to International Arbitration, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 97-114.

Criscuoli G. and Serio M. 2016, Nuova Introduzione allo Studio del Diritto Inglese. Le Fonti, Giuffrè Editore, Milano.

Degano C. 2012, Arguments by Analogy in Arbitration Awards, in Bhatia V.K., Garzone G. and Degano C. (eds.), Arbitration Awards: Generic Features and Textual Realisations, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, Newcastle upon Tyne, pp. 138-151.

Duranti A. and Goodwin C. 1992, Rethinking Context: Language as an Interactive Phenomenon, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Egbert J., Biber D. and Gray B. 2022, Designing and Evaluating Language Corpora. A Practical Framework for Corpus Representativeness, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Fairclough N. and Wodak R. 1997, Critical Discourse Analysis, in T.A. Van Dijk (ed.), Discourse as Social Interaction: Discourse Studies 2 (A Multidisciplinary Introduction), Sage, London, pp. 258-284.

Gotti M. 2008, Cultural Constraints on Arbitration Discourse, in Bhatia, V. K., Candlin C. and Engberg J (eds.), Legal Discourse across Cultures and Systems, Hong Kong University Press, Hong Kong, pp. 221-252.

Hafner C.A. 2011, Professional Reasoning, Legal Cultures, and Arbitral Awards, in “World Englishes” 30 [1], pp. 117-128.

Hoffmann S. 2005, Grammaticalization and English Complex Prepositions: A Corpus-based Study, Routledge, New York.

Jus Mundi. General Terms of Sale and Subscription. https://jusmundi.com/cgu/terms_of_subscription_en.pdf (06.04.2024).

Karton J. 2012, A Conflict of Interests: Seeking a Way Forward on Publication of International Arbitral Awards, in “Arbitration International” 28 [3], pp. 447-486.

Kauffmann P. 2013, Spreading the Law – Comparative Legal Traditions, in “Journal on European History of Law” 4 [2], pp. 33-40.

Łągiewska M. 2024, Digitalization and the Use of New Technologies in International Arbitration, Brill, Boston.

Leech G. 2007, New Resources, or Just Better Old Ones? The Holy Grail of Representativeness, in Hundt M., Nesselhauf N., and Biewer C (eds.), Corpus Linguistics and the Web, Rodopi, Amsterdam and New York.

Lyons J. 1985, Arbitration: The Slower, More Expensive Alternative?, in “The American Lawyer” 7, pp. 107-111.

Mattei U. and Pes L.G. 2008, Civil Law and Common Law: Toward Convergence?, in Caldeira G.A., Kelemen D., and Whittington K.E. (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Law and Politics, Oxford University Press, New York, pp. 267-280

McEnery T. and Hardie A. 2012, Corpus Linguistics: Method, Theory and Practice, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

McEnery T. and Wilson A. 2001, Corpus Linguistics, Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.

McEnery T., Xiao R. and Tono Y. 2006, Corpus-Based Language Studies. An Advanced Resource Book, Routledge, London.

Moses M.L. 2017, The Principles and Practice of International Commercial Arbitration, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Mourre A. and Vagenheim A. 2023. Again on the Case for the Publication of Arbitral Awards, in “Arbitration International” 39 [2], pp. 259-267.

Paulsson J. and Rawding N. 1995, The Trouble with Confidentiality, in “Arbitration International” 11 [3], pp. 303-320.

Pejovic C. 2001, Civil Law and Common Law: Two Different Paths Leading to the Same Goal, in “Poredbeno Pomorsko Pravo” 155, pp. 7-32.

Quirk R., Greenbaum S., Leech G. and Svartvik J. 1982, A Grammar of Contemporary English, Longman, London.

Quirk R., Greenbaum S., Leech G. and Svartvik J. 1985, A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Language, Longman, New York.

Resnik J., Garlock S. and Wang A.J. 2020, Collective Preclusion and Inaccessible Arbitration: Data, Non-Disclosure, and Public Knowledge, in “Lewis & Clark Law Review” 24 [2], pp. 611-684.

Siems M. 2018, Comparative Law, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Stefanowitsch A. 2020, Corpus Linguistics: A Guide to the Methodology, Language Science Press, Berlin.

Swales J.M. 1990, Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Tan Y. 2021, The Myth of Multilingualism in Singapore, in Tan Y. and Pritipuspa M. (eds.), Language, Nations, and Multilingualism. Questioning the Herderian Ideal, Routledge, London, pp. 152-171.

Tognini-Bonelli E. 2001, Corpus Linguistics at Work, John Benjamins, Amsterdam and Philadelphia.

Scott M. 2020, WordSmith Tools Version 8, Lexical Analysis Software. https://lexically.net/downloads/version8/ HTML/index.html (06.04.2024).

Zlatanska E. 2015, To Publish or not to Publish Arbitral Awards: That is the Question..., in “Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management” 81 [1], pp. 25-37.


Full Text: PDF

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.
کاغذ a4 ویزای استارتاپ

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 3.0 Italia License.