A "SEATLESS" ARBITRATION? RECONCILING DECENTRALIZED JUSTICE WITH THE LEX LOCI ARBITRI DOCTRINE
Kalit so‘zlar:
Seatless Arbitration, Lex Loci Arbitri, Decentralized Justice, Space Law, ICSID, State Responsibility, Cyber Sovereignty, Intangible AssetsAvstrakt
The concept of the lex loci arbitri, which tethers international arbitration to the legal framework of a specific physical jurisdiction, faces an existential challenge from the rise of decentralized and delocalized disputes. As human activity expands into "seatless" domains such as cyberspace and outer space, traditional mechanisms for dispute resolution are proving inadequate for addressing conflicts over intangible assets and cross-border digital infrastructures. This article explores the friction between the territorial nature of the lex loci arbitri and the emerging demand for "seatless" or decentralized justice systems. Drawing on recent scholarship regarding space law, cyber sovereignty, and state responsibility, this study analyzes the legal vacuum currently surrounding mission-critical disputes in non-territorial environments. The research identifies that the rigidity of current investment treaties and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) frameworks leaves significant gaps in legal protection for intangible assets, such as orbital slots and digital data. The article concludes that reconciling these paradigms requires a doctrinal overhaul, moving towards consortium-based consent mechanisms and a functional, rather than territorial, approach to jurisdiction, effectively creating a lex mercatoria for the post-territorial age.
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