The Faculty warmly welcomes the announcement that the Dispute Resolution Interest Group (DRIG) of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) has awarded the third edition of the DRIG Prize for Best Article in International Dispute Resolution to Dr Fabian Eichberger (Charles & Katharine Darwin Research Fellow, Darwin College).
Fabian's winning article 'Informal Communications to the International Court of Justice in Cases of Non-appearance' was published in The Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals, Volume 22, 2023.
In his article, Dr Eichberger addresses the increased non-appearance of respondent States before the International Court of Justice and openness of the Court to accepting informal communications from non-appearing States. The paper examines the implications of the Court's practice to date, highlighting key issues of procedural fairness and impacts for the Court's legitimacy. Dr Eichberger concludes that the Court should take a more formal approach to informal communications.
The committee selected the article from 34 submissions based on a) depth of research; b) sophistication of analysis; c) originality; d) quality of writing; and e) potential impact on the field of international dispute resolution. In delivering their verdict, the committee emphasised the excellent quality and diversity of the papers received.
The Prize consists of a certificate of recognition, a complimentary registration for the 2025 ASIL Annual Meeting, a one-year membership in the Society, and a one-year subscription to the Jus Mundi international law and arbitration search engine. The winner of the Prize was announced at the 2025 ASIL Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.