23 June: Judge Edward Torgbor; Former Court of Appeal Judge, Kenya & International Arbitrator
Justice Edward Torgbor
Justice Edward Torgbor is currently a Specialist International and Chartered Arbitrator and Mediator based in Nairobi (Kenya). He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (England) and former Vice President of the LCIA African Users Council. His international experience is underpinned by having completed law degrees at the Universities of Edinburgh (LLB), Cambridge (LLB/LLM), Stellenbosch (LLD) and as Academic Visitor at the University of Oxford, England. He has many years’ experience in the legal, judicial and academic fields, and in dispute resolution. He was a barrister in England, Judge of the High Court of Kenya, Professor of Law (Stellenbosch University) and Court Member of the LCIA. His areas of specialisation include Domestic and International Arbitration, International Trade and Investment Law, Corporate and Commercial Law, Energy and Natural Resources Mining and Banking.
He was winner of the CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF ARBITRATORS PRESIDENT’S PRIZE FOR BEST AWARD WRITING, 1997 – this prestigious award was presented to me in London by the Right Hon. Justice Evans on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London
and
Winner of the EAST AFRICA INTERNATIONAL ARBITRATION PRIZE AWARD 2019 FOR “THE AFRICAN ARBITRATOR OF THE YEAR 2019” (INAUGURAL AWARD).
Summary of the Conversation
Short Report for AFAS Annual Report
The sixth “Conversation” in our monthly AFAS Conversation Series 2022, took place on the 23rd of June 2022 with Eunice Shang-Simpson in conversation with the Honourable Justice Edward Torgbor, about his illustrious career in the legal, judicial, and academic fields and in Dispute Resolution.
The Honourable Justice Edward Torgbor is a Specialist International and Chartered Arbitrator and Mediator based in Nairobi (Kenya). He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (England) and a former Vice President of the LCIA African Users Council. His international expertise is underpinned by having completed an LLB at the University of Edinburgh, an LLB and LLM at Cambridge, and an LLD at Stellenbosch University. He is also an Academic Visitor at the University of Oxford, England.
He has many years’ experience in the legal, judicial and academic fields, and in dispute resolution. He was a barrister in England, a Judge of the High Court of Kenya, a Professor of Law at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, Court Member of the Arbitration Foundation of South Africa (AFSA), and former Court Member of the LCIA. His many accolades include being a winner of the prestigious CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF ARBITRATORS PRESIDENT’S PRIZE FOR BEST AWARD WRITING in 1997.
He is also the winner of the Inaugural Award of the East Africa International Arbitration Prize Award for the “AFRICAN ARBITRATOR OF THE YEAR 2019”.
Judge Torgbor took us on a journey from his first foray into law in the Borough Solicitor’s Office of the former London Borough of Islington, then to Fountain Chambers as a pupil barrister and barrister, and later to an illustrious decade as a Judge in the High Court in Kenya. He also shared with us his love for Academia and gave our audience some tips on how to make the most of a Mentoring relationship. He also shared his views on diversity in the field of International Arbitration and finally regaled us with tales of an amazing historic journey taken with other Commonwealth students overland from England to India, including tours to the Taj Mahal and the Vice-Regal Palace in Simla at the foothills of the Himalayas. This experience had a profound impact on his life, with some of his fellow travellers remaining close friends all these decades later!
This very informative and insightful Conversation was well attended by new and old friends of AFAS globally, and we are very grateful to Judge Torgbor for his time and his insights.
Organiser
Eunice Shang-Simpson LLM, FCIArb, is currently a PhD Candidate at Canterbury Christchurch University, focusing on Investor-State disputes and International Trade Negotiations. She is a member of the Ghana Bar and a Solicitor-Advocate qualified to practice in England & Wales. A former Specialist Crown Prosecutor and Senior Policy Advisor, Eunice is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and an ADR Group Accredited Civil & Commercial Mediator, as part of her Portfolio Career.
A Council Member of the Law Society of England & Wales, Eunice is also a Member of the Law Society’s International Committee and a Director / Trustee of the Law Society Trustees Ltd Charity. She is on the CPR Global Panel of Distinguished Neutrals and is a Panel Member of the Business Arbitration Scheme (BAS) of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. She is also a Director of Golden Age International School in Ghana.
