Views
AI in Arbitration: Will the EU AI Act Stand in the Way of Enforcement?
This guest post was written by Ezzatollah Pabakhsh, Master’s Student at the University of Antwerp
The European Union has taken an unprecedented step by regulating artificial intelligence (AI) through the EU AI Act, which is the world’s first comprehensive legal framework for AI governance. According to Recital 61, Article 6(2) and Annex III, 8(a), AI tools used in legal or administrative decision-making processes—including alternative dispute resolution (ADR), when used similarly to courts and producing legal effects—are considered high risk. These tools must comply with the strict requirements outlined in Articles 8 through 27. Read more
Clearly Inappropriate Down Under: Isaacman v King [No 2] and the Outer Limits of Long-Arm Jurisdiction
By Dr Sarah McKibbin, University of Southern Queensland
The Supreme Court of New South Wales’ decision in Isaacman v King [No 2][1] is the kind of case that tempts one to say ‘nothing to see here’, and yet it richly rewards a closer look. On a conventional application of Voth v Manildra Flour Mills[2] — the leading Australian authority on forum non conveniens — Garling J stayed proceedings that attempted to litigate a New York relationship dispute in Sydney, being ‘well satisfied’ that the NSW Supreme Court was a clearly inappropriate forum.[3] The reasons, though brief by design,[4] illuminate the transaction costs of jurisdictional overreach,[5] show how the Voth framework handles an extreme set of facts, and offer a careful case study for empirical debates about Australian ‘parochialism’ in jurisdictional decision-making. Read more
Indonesian Constitutional Court on International Child Abduction
THE INDONESIAN CONSTITUTIONAL COURT DECISION REAFFIRMED PARENTAL CHILD ABDUCTION IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE
By: Priskila Pratita Penasthika[1]
INTRODUCTION
The Indonesian Constitutional Court Decision Number 140/PUU-XXI/2023, issued on 3 September 2024, confirms that parental child abduction is a criminal offence under Article 330(1) of the Indonesian Criminal Code. Prior to this Decision, Article 330(1) of the Criminal Code was understood as a provision that could not criminalise someone for child abduction if the abduction was committed by one of the biological parents.
After 3 September 2024, through this Constitutional Court Decision, the abduction of a child by one of the biological parents, when the parent does not have custody based on a final court decision, is reaffirmed as a criminal offence. Read more
News
Conference at Bilkent University on Private International Law and Sustainable Development
Bilkent University Faculty of Law is pleased to invite you to an upcoming conference titled “Private International Law and Sustainable Development.”
We are honored to host a panel of world-renowned experts to discuss the evolving role of Private International Law in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Date: 13th April 2026, Monday
Time: 13:30 – 15:30
Venue: FFB 2
Moderator: Prof. Dr. Bilgin Tiryakio?lu
Distinguished Speakers:
Prof. Dr. Ralf Michaels (Max Planck Institute) – The Place of Private International Law in Sustainable Development
Prof. Dr. Veronica Ruiz Abou-Nigm (University of Edinburgh) – Sustainable Consumption and Production (SDG 12): Circularity in Fashion
Prof. Van Loon Hans (Former Secretary General of the HCCH) – The Role of the Judge in Climate Cases (SDG 13)
Assoc. Prof. Dr.Gulum Özçelik (Bilkent University) – Recognition of Personal Status Acquired Abroad (SDGs 5, 10, 16)
The conference will be live-streamed on our official YouTube channel: @bilkentuniversitesihukuk.
The event will be held in English.
All interested participants are welcome.
Students who attend the event will be awarded GE 250/251 points.
Call for Papers: 6th PIL Early Career Researchers’ Conference (9/10 April 2027, Munich)
Hot on the heels of the publication of the proceedings of the 5th PIL Early Career Researchers’ Conference, the organizers of the 6th conference have just published the Call for Papers (German version).
The conference will take place on 9 and 10 April 2027 at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich under the title ‘Crises in PIL – Crises of PIL’, which the organizers introduce as follows:
We are living in an age of polycrisis: war and environmental destruction are forcing thousands upon thousands to flee; growing social inequality and the concentration of economic power are undermining social cohesion; political polarization and the rise of renationalization threaten the project of European integration and international cooperation. At our conference, we aim to explore the implications of these crises for private international law (PIL). What new questions do the political, social, economic, and ecological crises of our time raise for PIL? How does PIL contribute to crisis management, or, conversely, to the exacerbation of crises? And might the discipline of PIL itself be in crisis?
The keynote speech will be given by Heinz-Peter Mansel (University of Cologne).
More information can be found on the conference website.
HCCH Monthly Update: March 2026
Membership
On 4 March 2026, Guatemala deposited its instrument of acceptance of the Statute, becoming the 93rd Member of the HCCH. More information is available here.
Conventions & Instruments
On 1 March 2026, the 2019 Judgments Convention entered into force for Albania and Montenegro. At present, 33 HCCH Members are either bound by the 2019 Judgments Convention or a Contracting Party for which the Convention has not entered into force yet (Andorra). More information is available here (for Albania) and here (for Montenegro).
On 1 March 2026, the 2005 Choice of Court Convention entered into force for Monaco. At present, 38 States and the European Union are bound by the 2005 Choice of Court Convention. More information is available here.
Meetings & Events
From 3 to 6 March 2026, the Council on General Affairs and Policy (CGAP) of the HCCH met in The Hague. The meeting was attended by 560 participants joining both in person and online. During the meeting, the Members of the HCCH reviewed progress made to date and agreed on the work programme for the year ahead, taking important decisions on work relating to possible new legislative instruments, post-Convention work, and governance matters. More information is available here.
From 9 to 11 March 2026, the Regional Workshop on Sharing Experiences on the Effective Implementation of the 1993 Adoption Convention in Africa was held in Cape Town, South Africa. More information is available here.
On 24 March 2026, the first meeting for Central Authorities on the operation of the 1965 Service, 1970 Evidence and 1980 Access to Justice Conventions was held online, hosted by the PB of the HCCH.
Publications
On 3 March 2026, the Permanent Bureau announced the publication of the HCCH 2025 Annual Report. More information is available here.
Upcoming events
Registration is open for the 14th International Forum on the electronic Apostille Programme (e-APP), which will take place in hybrid format on 12 and 13 May 2026 in Marrakesh, Morocco. The registration deadline is Friday 1 May 2026, 5.00 p.m. (CEST). More information is available here.
Vacancies
Applications are now open for three- to six-month legal internships for the period from September 2026 to February 2027. The deadline for the submission of applications is 20 April 2026. More information is available here.
These monthly updates are published by the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH), providing an overview of the latest developments. More information and materials are available on the HCCH website.