International Insolvency Review has a dual mission which is conveniently encapsulated in its title. Insolvency itself, as a subject of unquestioned - indeed, increasing - importance properly commands international interest as an area of study and critical comment. Practitioners and academics alike are aware of the global affinities that exist between the essential circumstances of insolvency, its functional aspects, and the impact of these elements upon the ways in which debtor-creditor relations are conducted. Solutions and innovations developed within one jurisdiction thus have immediate interest and relevance for those working elsewhere. The challenge is constantly experienced of finding appropriate ways of adapting new methods and processes into the different structures of other systems confronted by functionally similar problems. This Review exists in part to serve as a medium for the dissemination of information about recent or impending developments in insolvency law and practice which are likely to be of international interest or significance, and to serve as an archival source for the related documentation.
The second connotation of our chosen title however is a direct reflection of the fact that many cases of insolvency actually contain an international - or cross-border - element, whether by virtue of the dispersal of creditors, or assets, between two or more different jurisdictions, or by virtue of the fact that the debtor's affairs and circumstances, or the legal structure of certain transactions, generate questions of a multi-jurisdictional character. In an age of increasing international activity at every level, instances of cross-border insolvency are also on the increase, and their specially complex problems are perforce coming to the attention of a steadily widening community of scholars and practitioners, and also legislators and regulators - indeed all who are in some way concerned with the phenomenon of insolvency and feel called to address its profound and abiding challenges in the most appropriate and resourceful ways currently conceivable. The cross-border aspects of insolvency therefore feature prominently in the pages of this Review.
Our principal aims are therefore to provide authoritative information and comment about major issues and developments in the field of insolvency, viewed in an international perspective. The Review is a refereed journal, published thrice yearly, in which every item has been subjected to a rigorous evaluation by the Editor working in conjunction with the members of the Editorial Board. The Board consists of some twenty members, each of whom is a distinguished academic, judge or practitioner having an established international reputation in the field of insolvency, with particular emphasis on its cross-border and comparative dimensions. The contents of each Issue include scholarly articles providing an authoritative treatment of topics of current interest and concern to its international readership. Other features can include case comments, book reviews and notices, special communications and editorial intelligence regarding significant developments.
Dr. Paul Omar, Editor