The Madrid High Court (Tribunal Superior de Justicia) has recently refused recognition of a Canadian award rendered in Quebec (ad hoc arbitration under UNCITRAL rules). Restrictive interpretation of the first part or Article V(1) , i.e., the term “binding award” was the reason given. The Spanish Court deals with the requirement that the award has to be “ratified” in the country of origin ignoring that one of the principal innovations of the NY Convention was the abandonment of the “double exequatur” procedure. The party seeking enforcement of the award has the burden of proving that the award had become final in the country in which it was made. The High court considers the required proof of foreign law has not been met in this case.