Ciarb's
Roebuck Lecture
Hosted by Ciarb annually, the Roebuck Lecture is a highlight of the international dispute resolution calendar.
Named after an important figure in Ciarb’s history, the late Professor Derek Roebuck MCIArb, an academic and former Editor of Ciarb’s Arbitration: The International Journal of Arbitration, Mediation and Dispute Management, the lecture’s speaker is usually a high-profile academic within the field of dispute resolution.
With a history of nominations and wins in the 'Best Lecture or Speech' category at the Global Arbitration Review (GAR) Awards, it attracts a global audience of practising lawyers, arbitrators, mediators, barristers, corporate counsel, business professionals, students and academics.
From 2027, the Roebuck Lecture will be held in a different city each year and live-streamed.
Explore past Roebuck Lectures
2026: Dr. Crina Baltag FCIArb
2026: Dr. Crina Baltag FCIArb
Revisiting the Paradox of Trust: Disclosure and the Changing Dynamics of Impartiality in International Arbitration
Speaker: Dr. Crina Baltag FCIArb
What was the lecture about?
This lecture revisited the paradox at the heart of international arbitration: that mechanisms designed to secure trust - particularly disclosure - may also generate doubt. Crina explored how the duty of disclosure that's incumbent on both arbitrators and parties has expanded in scope and intensity and changed our expectations of impartiality.
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“International arbitration is built on trust, but we are reaching a point where the very mechanisms meant to secure that trust, particularly disclosure, are beginning to unsettle it. In an era of expanding data and unprecedented visibility over arbitrators and parties, disclosure is no longer a stabilising obligation, but a moving target." Dr. Crina Baltag FCIArb |
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"One question lingers: should an arbitrator’s independence be measured by the mere existence of a relationship, or by its nature and significance — and who, ultimately, draws that line?" Khadijah Tiamiyu |
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"'Disclosures are linked to human rights, and it is a continued duty, not only for the tribunal but also the parties.' Impactful and profound words by Crina." Hendrix Shamainda ACIArb |
2025: Sir Robin Knowles CBE
2025: Sir Robin Knowles CBE
Damages and Remedies: Responsibilities and Reputation
Speaker: Sir Robin Knowles CBE
What was the lecture about?
Robin discussed the dangers of vast arbitral awards to the legal system globally, and the consequences for all parties. This lecture earned critical acclaim within the international arbitration community and was shortlised for ‘Best Lecture or Speech’ at the 16th Annual GAR Awards. It is available for Ciarb members to read in Issue 91.4 of Ciarb's Journal.
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"Without [ethics and integrity], any form of dispute resolution cannot succeed in the end." Sir Robin Knowles CBE |
2024: Emilia Onyema FCIArb
2024: Emilia Onyema FCIArb
Access to Arbitral Justice for Local Communities: Mitigating the Cost of Corruption and Providing Access to Justice for Local Communities
Speaker: Emilia Onyema FCIArb
What was the lecture about?
Emilia focused on the people and communities who are most impacted by corruption and why arbitration and national courts should be made available to victims and activists as tools of access to, and the delivery of, justice. This lecture was shortlisted for ‘Best Lecture or Speech’ at the 2025 GAR Awards.
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“As members of the international arbitration community we need to think of issues around access to justice and fairness, and the impact of the decisions we make." Emilia Onyema FCIArb |
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"This lecture was timely, convincingly challenging the status quo of arbitration practice as we know it." Adelaide Asiedu MCIArb |
2023: Dr. Kabir Duggal C.Arb FCIArb
2023: Dr. Kabir Duggal C.Arb FCIArb
International Arbitration Versus Human Rights, Armed Conflict, and the Environment: Why should I care?
Speaker: Dr. Kabir Duggal C.Arb FCIArb
What was the lecture about?
Kabir addressed the interaction between different areas of international law and dispute resolution, emphasising that while arbitration is central, other methods, like mediation, are crucial for meeting present-day challenges.
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"Safeguarding human rights, mitigating the impact of armed conflict, protecting the rule of law, and preserving our planet from the threat of climate change are among the most serious challenges facing the international legal community today. Against this backdrop, international arbitration, and investor-state arbitration, in particular, has become the most globally prolific method of resolving international disputes. It represents our first, last, and sometimes only line of defense. The question that arises... to what extent international arbitration is acting as a good friend." Dr. Kabir Duggal C.Arb FCIArb |
2022: Rt. Hon. Sir Geoffrey Vos
2022: Rt. Hon. Sir Geoffrey Vos
Mandating Mediation - The Digital Solution
Speaker: Rt. Hon. Sir Geoffrey Vos
What was the lecture about?
Mediation is mandated in many jurisdictions, but there's no standardised approach to how mandated mediation can and should work globally. As discussions about how mandated mediation continue to unfold globally, Geoffrey explored how technology can pave the way towards mainstream adoption of mediation, what's required of mediators to facilitate that change, and how such changes will impact on practice.
2021: Hon Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch EBS CBS MCIArb
2021: Hon Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch EBS CBS MCIArb
The Impact of Singapore Mediation Convention on Mediation and Arbitration
Speaker: Hon Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch EBS CBS MCIArb
What was the lecture about?
Joyce is a former Judge and First Vice-President of the International Criminal Court, was the second woman Court of Appeal and High Court Judge and Magistrate in Kenya, and is an active member of Ciarb's Kenya and London Branches. In this lecture, Joyce highlighted how the Singapore Convention facilitates the enforcement of international mediated settlement agreements.
2020: Cherie Blair CBE QC MCIArb
2020: Cherie Blair CBE QC MCIArb
Getting Ahead of the Curve: How Arbitration can Better Meet the Needs of Parties, People and Planet
Speaker: Cherie Blair CBE QC MCIArb
What was the lecture about?
In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, when restrictions prevented travel and gatherings for events, this lecture was live-streamed to its audience around the world – the first Roebuck Lecture to be live-streamed. In it, Cherie recommended that arbitrators address the environmental, social and governance issues which are of growing importance to clients and investors.
This lecture was shortlisted for ‘Best Lecture or Speech’ at the 2021 GAR Awards.
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"Let’s harness the current energy and use the COVID-19 lockdown experience as a spur for further reform. Let’s continue to work as a community to introduce new ways of working that protect the integrity of the arbitral process and make it relevant to future generations. Perhaps, if we lawyers fully embrace the ESG principles in the same way as we have embraced Zoom, we would all be operating in a better world." Cherie Blair CBE QC MCIArb |
Explore Ciarb’s other events and lectures
