It is my pleasure to welcome you to this first Newsletter of the AIFC Court and IAC. We intend to publish this Newsletter periodically and for it to provide updates relating to our services and achievements.

We have in 2019 successfully enforced our first case, our new world class premises were formally opened, we launched our eJustice digital technology for electronic case management and hearings, we hired and trained a first class Registry support team, we promoted our services locally, regionally and around the world, and we trained numerous Kazakh nationals on international common law and dispute resolution skills.

We hope you will find this Newsletter to be of interest. Thank you for your support.

Mr. Christopher Campbell-Holt

In July 2019 the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev officially opened the new AIFC Court and IAC premises at the EXPO-2017 site. Our premises rival those of any international court or arbitration centre and include latest digital technology and international standard meeting and conference facilities.

In April 2019 the AIFC Court gave its first judgment in Aurora AG Limited v Star Asian Mining Company LLP. The claim was a small claim (being less than US $150,000) and involved an AIFC Participant and a foreign entity. Judgment was given by Justice Tom Montagu-Smith QC in the AIFC Small Claims Court. The case was managed electronically and quickly and all enforcement action was administered efficiently with the support of the Kazakhstan enforcement authorities.

In February 2019 the AIFC Court and IAC officially launched eJustice. eJustice is our new e-filing system. It is the first of its kind in Central Asia. eJustice was developed in cooperation with our IT Solutions partner from Singapore, "CrimsonLogic". We provided eJustice training to 35 Kazakh lawyers in Nur-Sultan and Almaty and we continue to train the legal community to ensure that all lawyers have access and will be able to file cases at the AIFC Court and IAC electronically. Please contact us here if you require training.

This summer the AIFC Court and IAC launched their new mediation services. In April the AIFC Court launched its Judicial Mediation service. In the course of ongoing litigation, if the parties to the dispute so request, the judge may assume the role of mediator and attempt to secure a settlement of the litigation. If the mediation does not result in settlement, then another judge will take over the management and trial of the litigation. In July the IAC launched its Arbitration-Mediation or "Arb-Med" service, where parties may agree to interrupt ongoing arbitration proceedings with an attempt to settle the dispute via mediation.

All applications, administration and hearings at the AIFC Court and IAC are free of charge until 31 December 2021. All parties to a contract which is agreed before 31 December 2021 and includes the AIFC Court and/or the IAC for dispute resolution will be eligible to receive free administration of any dispute resolution at the AIFC Court and IAC under that contract before and after 31 December 2021.

In September 2019 The Rt. Hon. The Lord Woolf CH, AIFC Court Chief Justice, officially presented his book "A Vision of the AIFC Court" to the legal and business communities in Nur-Sultan. The book describes the establishment of the AIFC Court and its vision for the future as a leading commercial court in Eurasia. The book was published in three languages: English, Kazakh and Russian.

Throughout 2019 the AIFC Court and IAC signed numerous memoranda of cooperation to enhance their international recognition, their promotions and the delivery of their services. MOUs were signed in London, Hong Kong and Beijing in addition to Nur-Sultan.

In June 2019 the AIFC Court and IAC trained more than 300 Kazakh national students and lawyers in Nur-Sultan and Almaty during the AIFC Court and IAC Legal Education Month. This was intended to provide the common law skills necessary to represent parties in cases at the AIFC Court and IAC. We partnered with leading legal education providers including Cambridge University, University College London, the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution in London, and leading legal practitioners to provide comprehensive training on commercial common law, advocacy and mediation skills. Lectures were also given throughout 2019 by the AIFC Court Chief Justice and judges and IAC Chairman and arbitrators as a part of the AIFC Court and IAC "Distinguished Lectures Program".

On 30 and 31 October 2019 the AIFC Court and IAC held their second annual AIFC Court and IAC Moot Competition. Preliminary rounds were conducted at the AIFC Court premises on 30 October. The Final happened on 31 October 2019 in the AIFC Court Room before Justice Sir Robin Jacob and Justice Sir Stephen Richards from the AIFC Court with law students representing M. Narikbayev KAZGUU University and KIMEP University. KIMEP won the Final. The competition requires Kazakh law students to present oral advocacy in the common law style in the presence of AIFC Court judges relating to a commercial common law problem.

On 5 December 2019 the AIFC Court and IAC will hold their Annual Reception at the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in London. The Reception is open to our supporters from the UK and European legal communities. To attend this event please register your interest here.

AIFC Court Annual Report 2018

IAC Annual Report 2018

AIFC Court Regulations and Rules

IAC Arbitration Regulations and Arbitration and Mediation Rules

AIFC Court Model Clause

IAC Model Clause

Register for Rights for Audience at the AIFC Court

AIFC Court and International Arbitration Centre
Nur-Sultan, 55/16 Mangilik El Avenue, C 3.1, Level 1
P.O. Box 010000, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan
T: +7 (717) 2647337; +7 (717) 2647338
E: info@aifc-court.kz; info@aifc-iac.kz