Intensive Course: The Power of the International Judge or Arbitrator
to Interpret the Facts and the Law

Prof. Pierre-Marie Dupuy, Professor, Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

In every international adjudication process, the judge or arbitrator does essentially two things: establishing the facts and applying the law. These processes involve an element of interpretation. The international judge or arbitrator selects and interprets the facts in a process that plays a key role that is often underestimated by outside observers.

The application of the law equally requires interpretation which raises its own issues. This course examines the extent and limits of the power of interpretation vested in the international judge or arbitrator.