The Paris Court of Appeal has scheduled a final hearing for 7 July on the claim by the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu to enforce a controversial $15-billion arbitration award over Malaysia’s Sabah, a source told DAILY TRIBUNE on Thursday.

The source, who requested anonymity due to not being authorized to discuss legal matters, said lawyers for the Sultanate have been granted permission to present their case before the arbitration court, which had previously dismissed the claim.

“The Paris Court of Appeal will hear the final legal challenge in a dispute involving a nearly $15-billion arbitration award over historical claims over Sabah,” the source said without elaborating.

Efforts to enforce the arbitration award have been dismissed in Spain, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Courts in those countries cited procedural irregularities, jurisdictional overreach and the annulment of the arbitrator’s mandate by Spanish authorities.