Book Launch: Alternative Visions of the International Law on Foreign Investment

The book launch of “Alternative Visions of the International Law on Foreign Investment” was held on 7 April 2016, at the NUS Faculty of Law. The Book Launch was preceded by a Panel discussion chaired by Professor Tommy Koh and led the audience in a captivating Festschrift for Professor Sornarajah. Light-hearted and tinged with humour, we saw Professor Sorna through the eyes of the various panelists – Professor Lim Chin Leng (also the editor of the book), Assistant Professor Jean Ho, Associate Professor Wang Jiangyu, Associate Professor Joel Lee (from NUS), and from SMU, NMP Assistant Professor Mahdev Mohan. The Book Launch ended on a high note with the presentation of the book cover to signify the official launch of the book.

 Abstract of the book

This book is about the forces that are reshaping the international law on foreign investment today. It begins by explaining the liberal origins of contemporary investment treaties before addressing a current backlash against these treaties and the device of investment arbitration.

The book describes a long-standing legal-intellectual resistance to a neo-liberal global economic agenda, and how tribunals have interpreted various treaty standards instead. It introduces our reader to the changes now taking place in the design of a range of familiar treaty clauses, and it describes how some of these changes are now driven not only by developing and emerging economies but also by the capital-exporting nations.

Finally, it explores the life, career and writing of Muthucumaraswamy Sornarajah, a scholar whose work has been dedicated to the realisation of many of these changes, and his views about the hold global capital has over legal practice.

Event Photos

Click here to view some photos taken during the book launch.