Ciarb President announces his Alexander Lecture topic
Ciarb’s President, Professor Dr. Mohamed Abdel Wahab C.Arb FCIArb, has confirmed that his topic for this year’s Alexander Lecture will be Arbitrating in an Age of Legal Fracture: Guarding the Realm and System Recalibration.
The lecture, which will be delivered on 4 December 2025 as part of London Arbitration Week, will highlight the challenges posed by fractures and tensions between global, regional, and domestic legal norms and systems, and explore how to remedy the fracture and what it means to ‘guard the realm’ in a fragmented landscape.
It will also address how international arbitration can recalibrate to preserve the rule of law, foster constructive dialogue, induce trust across borders, and ensure dispute resolution continues to serve all stakeholders, including people and societies.
President Professor Dr Mohamed Abdel Wahab C.Arb FCIArb said: “I see that there is a degree of legal fracture; a tension between global, regional and domestic norms and systems. ‘Guarding the realm’ invites everyone to consider our global landscape as the realm to protect, taking into consideration regional and national interests and aligning them with the international legal order. The present fracture and the existing tension between the global, the regional, and the national do not serve the interests of humanity in the short, medium or long term.
Guarding the realm also invites the global community of states, non-state actors and all players within the international legal order to rethink approaches to dispute management and resolution. However, the question remains: how can we observe the rule of law and ensure that dialogue continues in a constructive, tolerant manner to the benefit of humanity even when people have different perspectives on the law? How can we adhere to the principles we champion and live by?”
Ciarb’s Director of External Affairs, Cristen Bauer, said: “Ciarb’s Alexander Lecture is one of the most important moments in the international arbitration calendar, and this year’s address from our President could not be more timely. As legal systems globally are under pressure, his lecture will provide vital insight into how international arbitration can both safeguard the rule of law and adapt to a fractured legal landscape. We look forward to welcoming colleagues from around the world to engage in this critical conversation during London Arbitration Week.”
Tickets are now available for the Alexander Lecture - £15 for Ciarb members and £50 for non-members. Virtual attendance is free of charge, but registration is required.
Find out more about the role of Professor Dr Mohamed Abdel Wahab C.Arb FCIArb.
