Australia's accession to the 'Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements'

The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties has recommended that Australia accede to the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements. The Convention seeks to ensure uniform treatment of 'exclusive' jurisdiction agreements internationally, and is in force in the European Union, Singapore and Mexico. This article considers the effect that the Convention will have on Australian courts' treatment of exclusive jurisdiction agreements, which will largely be positive, and analyses Australia's proposal for the Convention's implementation. It also identifies shortcomings of the Convention and the proposal for its implementation, and recommends refinements to that proposal. The article concludes by underscoring the problems in the existing law that accession will not redress, some of which could and should be remedied in the legislation which will implement the Convention.