美国法院证据开示协助制度适用于国际商事仲裁的经验与启示

Experience of U.S. Discovery for Assistance to International Commercial Arbitration and Its Enlightenment

《美国法典》第28章第1782条规定的证据开示制度为外国法院和当事人在美国获取证据提供了协助。然而,该条第(a)款中“以供外国法庭或国际法庭使用”的适用范围是否包括国际商事仲裁庭尚存争议。本文在阐释该证据开示协助条款立法目的的基础上,分析近年来依据该条文申请证据开示协助国际商事仲裁典型案例,并通过对比中国国际经济贸易仲裁委员会的两起仲裁案件,探究美国法院对仲裁庭所作证据开示意见的考量路径,厘清将《美国法典》第1782条第(a)款适用于国际商事仲裁的利弊,借鉴相关经验,并为完善我国的国际民商事仲裁司法协助制度提供建议。

The discovery stipulated in Section 1782 of Title 28 of the U.S.Code provides assistance to foreign and international tribunals and to litigants in obtaining evidence in the United States.It is controversial whether the scope of‘for use in a proceeding in a foreign or international tribunal’in paragraph(a)of this provision includes the arbitral tribunal.Based on explaining the legislative purpose of Section 1782 of Title 28 of the U.S.Code,this article analyzes the typical cases of U.S.discovery in support of a private international commercial arbitration in recent years.Comparing the two arbitration cases of China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission,this article explores the factors and guiding principles identified by U.S.federal courts on discovery assistance.Then it weighs the pros and cons of the application of Section 1782 to international commercial arbitration.Meanwhile,it provides suggestions for perfecting China’s judicial assistance for international commercial arbitration.