The 30th Goff Arbitration Lecture: “The Strange Results That Attend Human Life” The Story of the Alabama Claims Arbitration
CityUHK School of Law, in cooperation with Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) and Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer (HSFK), held the 30th Goff Arbitration Lecture on 19 March 2026. This year, we were honoured to have Mr Christopher THOMAS KC, a leading practitioner in international investment and trade law, to give a lecture entitled “‘The Strange Results That Attend Human Life’ The Story of the Alabama Claims Arbitration”. Around 260 participants attended the lecture at HSFK and via Zoom.
The lecture kicked off with the welcome speeches by Professor LIN Feng (Dean, CityUHK School of Law) and Mr Murphy MOK (Partner, Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer). Professor Christopher TO (LLMArbDR Programme Director, CityUHK School of Law) then introduced the speaker.
Mr Thomas’s lecture delved into the arbitration between the United States and Great Britain, which arose from Britain's alleged breach of neutrality during the American Civil War, particularly involving the CSS Alabama. The lecture highlighted the $15.5 million awarded to the United States in 1872, a decision seen as a landmark in peaceful dispute resolution, though much of the process deviated from modern arbitration standards. Through extensive research, Mr Thomas revealed the geopolitical struggles and legal cultural divergences, challenging long-held assumptions about this celebrated international law case.
After the lecture, the participants raised questions and interacted with Mr Thomas in the Q&A session moderated by Mr Neil KAPLAN CBE KC SBS (International Arbitrator, Arbitration Chambers). The lecture was concluded with closing remarks by Ms Joanne LAU (Secretary-General, HKIAC), who thanked Mr Thomas for delivering an insightful lecture.
2026年3月19日，香港城市大學法律學院與香港國際仲裁中心及史密夫斐爾律師事務所合作舉辦了第三十屆戈夫仲裁講座。今年，學院非常榮幸邀請到國際投資與貿易法領域的領先從業者Christopher THOMAS御用大律師主講「『人類生活的奇異結果』阿拉巴馬仲裁案的故事」。講座吸引了約260人到場或在線參與。
講座由港城大法律學院院長林峰教授及史密夫斐爾律師事務所合夥人莫非先生致歡迎辭揭開序幕。隨後，城大法律學院仲裁及爭議解決學課程主任陶榮教授介紹了講者。
Thomas先生的講座深入探討了美國與英國之間的仲裁，該仲裁源於英國在美國內戰期間被指控違反中立原則，尤其涉及阿拉巴馬號戰艦。講座重點強調了1872年美國獲得的1550萬美元賠償金，這一決定被視為和平解決爭端的里程碑，儘管過程中的許多方面與現代仲裁標準有所不同。通過廣泛的研究，Thomas 先生揭示了地緣政治鬥爭和法律文化的差異，挑戰了對這一著名國際法案件的長期假設。
演講結束之後，聽眾向講者提問，與講者積極互動。提問環節由國際仲裁員嘉柏倫先生 （Mr Neil KAPLAN CBE KC SBS）主持。最後，香港國際仲裁中心秘書長劉煦婷女士向講者致謝，感謝他為大家帶來了一場精彩而富有啟發性的講座。