International civil legal co-operation

Abstract

1This article proposes that Commonwealth countries should work together to achieve a greater level of co-operation in resolving international civil disputes. The purpose is to facilitate international trade and development, to improve access to justice, and to simplify, expedite and reduce the costs of international litigation. Existing arrangements between Commonwealth countries are limited, complex, outdated and inefficient. This article proposes the development of a Commonwealth Scheme for Co-operation in International Civil Matters, a proposal which was accepted by Commonwealth law ministers at their meeting in Sydney, Australia in July 2011. 1This article is based on a paper presented at the Meeting of Commonwealth Law Ministers and Senior Officials in Sydney, Australia, 11–14 July 2011, at which the recommendation proposed in this article, that ministers request the Commonwealth Secretariat to develop a scheme for co-operation in civil matters, was adopted; Meeting of Commonwealth Law Ministers and Senior Officials ‘Final Communiqué’ (Sydney, Australia 11–14 July 2011) paras 14–16 <http://www.thecommonwealth.org/files/238332/FileName/2011CLMMFinalCommunique.pdf> accessed 5 August 2011.