PCA Hearings

With its extensive experience managing a wide range of hearings, meetings, procedural conferences, and deliberations, along with its relationships with hosting States, the PCA is uniquely capable of organizing tailor‑made hearings for any dispute settlement proceeding.

Buenos Aires

Hearings are a typical feature of PCA-administered dispute resolution proceedings. They provide an opportunity for oral argument, for the presentation of evidence, for the examination of witnesses and experts, and for the determination of procedural matters. As such, the organization of hearings plays a crucial role in the overall execution of dispute resolution proceedings. Due to the importance of hearings, requirements for their organization are often set out in the relevant arbitration agreement and procedural rules. Thus, hearing arrangements often must be customized in order to comply with each case’s particular requirements. The PCA offers bespoke solutions to address any and all requirements and needs as they arise.

Across its varied caseload, the PCA has a deep experience with diverse hearing requirements. In 2023, the PCA organized evidentiary hearings in 14 cities in 13 countries, spanning five continents. Furthermore, the PCA manages not only hearings, but also procedural conferences, tribunal deliberations, and meetings in arbitration or non-arbitration proceedings. Whether in-person, remote or hybrid, monolingual or multilingual, lasting a day or several weeks, the PCA provides custom-tailored arrangements for any proceeding.

Venues around the Globe

The PCA organizes in-person hearings around the world, adjusting local arrangements to fit the needs of the proceedings. In addition to its Headquarters, the historic Peace Palace in The Hague, each of the PCA’s international offices has hosting capacity, including the Port Louis Waterfront in Mauritius, the Palacio San Martín in Buenos Aires, Maxwell Chambers in Singapore, the House of Peace and State Guest House in Ha Noi, and the Hofburg Palace in Vienna. The PCA can also provide locations through its Host Country and Cooperation Agreements around the world, including, among others, the Florence Chamber of Commerce (Florence, Italy), the Asian International Arbitration Centre (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), the Palácio da Bolsa (Porto, Portugal), the British Virgin Islands International Arbitration Centre (Tortola, British Virgin Islands), the Oliver Tambo Moot Court (Cape Town, South Africa), the Mumbai Centre for International Arbitration (Mumbai, India), and the Saudi Centre for Commercial Arbitration (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia).

In addition to granting access to hearing spaces free of charge or at reduced rates, the PCA can facilitate the access of adjudicators and participants in PCA proceedings to the hearing venue. The PCA’s network of Host Country Agreements provides support for entry visas and affords the application of certain privileges and immunities. The PCA is also able to aid tribunal members with transportation and accommodation.

While the PCA offers an expansive list of its own locations and facilities, it is equally adept at organizing hearings in alternative locations, with a long history in certain facilities as well as extensive experience preparing new locations. Since 2013, the PCA has organized hearings in more than 75 venues in 37 cities across 32 countries. Over two-thirds of PCA-organized in-person hearings during this period have taken place outside of The Hague.

Upon request, the PCA can also make its facilities available, and provide incidental administrative support, in certain dispute settlement proceedings in which the PCA does not serve as registry.

Cape Town

Remote and Hybrid Arrangements

While in-person meetings have resumed following the phase-out of pandemic restrictions, PCA-administered proceedings regularly require virtual hearing arrangements. Accordingly, the PCA offers a range of options for conducting both fully-remote and “hybrid” hearings. Working with service providers, the PCA replicates the full functionality of an in-person hearing in remote proceedings, including coordinating device setup, live transcription, simultaneous interpretation, and more. Having conducted over 100 remote hearings since 2018, in addition to frequent virtual case management conferences and meetings, the PCA has developed best practices for virtual proceedings.

Often, the PCA combines its expertise in both in-person and remote hearings to offer a variety of hybrid formats. Hybrid options range from providing a one-way livestream of an in-person session for the benefit of remote participants, to enabling video-testimony of a single remote witness, to coordinating multiple groups of tribunal members and party representatives in numerous shared and separate physical and virtual locations. Through hybrid proceedings, the PCA offers participants greater flexibility as well as lowered costs through reduced travel.

Devoted Technological and Logistical Support

The PCA has unparalleled experience providing linguistic support in hearings and other meetings. In just the past few years, the PCA has administered arbitrations in nine languages, as well as facilitated witness and expert testimony in 24. Many hearings are held with simultaneous interpretation into two or more languages.

The PCA also arranges for live transcription of hearings. Where necessary, the PCA can coordinate court reporters to participate remotely, or arrange for multiple transcribers in multilingual proceedings. In addition, PCA Case Managers coordinate video and audio recordings of proceedings, including multiple audio channels for multilingual proceedings, which are then made available to the parties.

The caseload of the PCA spans the confidentiality spectrum, from transparent proceedings to cases whose existence is never shared. The PCA’s staff is well attuned to the nuances of transparency levels. For public cases, the PCA can coordinate open hearings, which may include facilitating public in-person attendance or arranging live stream options, as well as restricting public access to those parts of the hearing that must be kept confidential. The PCA further assures the confidentiality of all involved contractors, such as court reporters, interpreters, and technicians.

Mauritius

An Experienced Case Management Team

The diverse hearing arrangements requested of the PCA are handled by an experienced and skilled case management and legal team. Having handled a broad range of repeat and novel asks, PCA Case Managers know best practices to apply in any scenario. For example, the PCA has organized various kinds of multi-party proceedings, including non-disputing parties, intervening parties, and parties entitled to attend only certain portions of a larger hearing. PCA staff are likewise experienced at organizing hearings on short notice, such as when legal instruments call for expedited procedures, parties request interim measures, or sudden schedule changes occur.

Finally, PCA Case Managers use their experience to take care of the finer details necessary for a proceeding to run effectively. The PCA provides the technical support necessary for the demonstration of evidence throughout a hearing, whether by setting up printing capabilities, coordinating shipping and receiving of materials, or controlling monitors in-person or shared-screen programs online. Between sessions, the PCA coordinates catering of appropriate refreshments and meals. The PCA has also assisted in implementing health protocols, providing for on-site medical staff and testing as well as aiding participants to meet any medical requirements of the location hosting the meeting.

Ha Noi

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With its extensive experience managing a wide range of hearings, meetings, procedural conferences, and deliberations, along with its relationships with hosting States, the PCA is uniquely capable of organizing tailor‑made hearings for any dispute settlement proceeding.