TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – TSX-listed TriMetals Mining, formerly South American Silver (SAS), will get its day in court in July next year, a little later than the previously expected May 2016 date, as it pursues its international arbitration claim against Bolivia.

TriMetals on Monday said after concluding consultation with the parties, the Arbitration Tribunal confirmed that the oral hearing in the international arbitration filed against Bolivia by the company's Bermudan subsidiary, SAS, would take place from July 11 to 22, in 2016.

The proceedings were currently in the document-exchange phase, which was expected to be completed by the end of August. Before the oral hearing, the parties would submit further written pleadings, with SAS expected to reply to Bolivia's statement of defence in November, Bolivia submitting its rejoinder in February 2016 and SAS submitting its rejoinder on jurisdiction in March that year.

Upon request from the parties and for good cause, the tribunal might decide to further modify the dates.

The Bolivian government had on August 1, 2012, with the issuance of Supreme Decree No 1308, revoked without compensation mining concessions held by Compañía Minera Malku Khota, a fully owned subsidiary of SAS and the Malku Khota silver/indium project.

The company held that it was a protected investor under the bilateral investment treaty between the UK and Bolivia, and the actions of the Bolivian government were in violation of that treaty and of international law.

Bolivia had been involved in more than 15 ‘nationalisations’, the majority of which took place after President Evo Morales came to office. A number of the cases had reached negotiated settlements while others remained pending.

TriMetals was currently focused on exploring its Gold Spring gold/silver project, along the Nevada/Utah border, which it acquired through High Desert Gold in late 2013.