Ciarb issues response to the Call for Evidence on the Arbitration Bill

As the leading global professional body for dispute resolvers, we welcome the review of the Arbitration Act 1996 by the UK Law Commission. It is critical to regularly review legislation to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of parties and arbitrators, even if such review results in minor changes to ensure the legislation keeps pace with modern practice.

We support legislative reforms that continue to uphold high standards, give clarity and which meet the needs of the parties and arbitrators, thereby ensuring that England and Wales and Northern Ireland continue as world leading global centres for arbitration.

As part of the Law Commission’s consultations and review of the Arbitration Act 1996, Ciarb submitted two previous responses in December 2022 and March 2023. We were pleased to see that most of Ciarb’s recommendations were included in the Law Commission’s recommendations and that those recommendations were widely adopted into the current version of the Arbitration Bill.

Catherine Dixon MCIArb, CEO of Ciarb, said, “We thank the House of Lords Special Public Bill Committee for the opportunity to provide comments on the Arbitration Bill. We also thank our Ciarb members for contributing their valuable and diverse insights which have strengthened our response. Ciarb actively supports legislative change in the best interest of parties and arbitrators and which promotes high standards of practice, to ensure private dispute resolution continues to be used as a means of accessing justice around the world.”

Read the full response here