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brought under the dominican republic - central america - ita

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continuous act in this case, only that portion of <strong>the</strong> continuous act taking place after<br />

<strong>the</strong> change of nationality on 13 December 2007 could be considered by <strong>the</strong> Tribunal<br />

for <strong>the</strong> purpose of engaging possible responsibility by <strong>the</strong> Respondent <strong>under</strong><br />

CAFTA.<br />

2.90. As regards this question, <strong>the</strong> Claimant explained that:<br />

―... (w)hile <strong>the</strong> ban may have come into existence at some earlier point in time, it<br />

continued to exist after Pac Rim Cayman acquired its U.S. nationality in December<br />

2007, which is when CAFTA became applicable to measures relating to Pac Rim<br />

Cayman.‖ 73<br />

2.91. The Tribunal also bears in mind that <strong>the</strong> Claimant pleads that <strong>the</strong> alleged unlawful<br />

practice by <strong>the</strong> Respondent is a negative practice not to grant any mining application,<br />

i.e. it allegedly comprises omissions to act and not positive acts; and that, consequently,<br />

it is difficult to give a precise date for such omissions (compared to a specific<br />

positive act). Once an act takes place, it affects <strong>the</strong> parties‟ legal position; but,<br />

in contrast, an omission to act does not necessarily affect <strong>the</strong> parties as long as it is<br />

not definitive; and an omission can remain non-definitive throughout a period during<br />

which it could be cured by a positive act. As determined above by <strong>the</strong> Tribunal, although<br />

<strong>the</strong>re were deadlines fixed <strong>under</strong> Salvadoran law for <strong>the</strong> granting of <strong>the</strong> permits<br />

and <strong>the</strong> concession, <strong>the</strong> Claimant <strong>under</strong>stood that <strong>the</strong> Salvadoran authorities<br />

<strong>the</strong>mselves did not treat <strong>the</strong>se deadlines as definitive deadlines after which permits<br />

or concessions could no longer be granted to <strong>the</strong> Claimant at all.<br />

2.92. In <strong>the</strong> Tribunal‟s view, on <strong>the</strong> particular facts of this case as pleaded by <strong>the</strong> Claimant,<br />

an omission that extends over a period of time and which, to <strong>the</strong> reasonable <strong>under</strong>standing<br />

of <strong>the</strong> relevant party, did not seem definitive should be considered as a<br />

continuous act <strong>under</strong> international law. The legal nature of <strong>the</strong> omission did not<br />

change over time: <strong>the</strong> permits and <strong>the</strong> concession remained non-granted. The controversy<br />

began with a problem over <strong>the</strong> non-granting of <strong>the</strong> permits and concession;<br />

and it remained a controversy over a practice of not granting <strong>the</strong> mining permits and<br />

concession.<br />

73<br />

The Claimant‟s Post-Hearing Submissions, § 4.<br />

Part 2 – Page 29

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