Enforcing Foreign Arbitral Awards In Ontario When Public Policy Is Put To The Test

International arbitration is premised on a simple but powerful idea: parties who agree to arbitrate their disputes should be able to rely on the outcome and enforce the decision without opening the door to the outcome being revisited. Canadian courts have long embraced this principle, and a recent Ontario Superior Court decision offers a clear illustration of how firm that commitment is.

Feicheng Mining Group v. Liu arose from a familiar cross‑border dispute: a foreign award, a Canadian respondent, and a final attempt to resist local enforcement. What followed was a disciplined application of the principles of international arbitration and a clear confirmation that enforcement proceedings carry a narrow mandate.