On 1 December, around 150 leading arbitration specialists met at the Law Society to consider whether the Arbitration Act 1996 has, in the ten years since it came into force, had the desired effect of promoting London's reputation as an effective and cost efficient place for resolving international disputes through arbitration.

The event was backed by the ICC, the LCIA, the CIArb and the LMAA and a number of pre-eminent arbitration practitioners spoke about the challenges facing dispute resolution in London. The practical steps that can be taken to tackle issues that may arise were debated by practitioners. Whilst some concerns were voiced about the scope and frequency of jurisdictional and procedural challenges that are continuing to be made under the Arbitration Act 1996, the general consensus of opinion was that the Act has largely succeeded in its objective of providing a supportive, but not unduly interventionist, framework for arbitration in England and Wales, with relatively few complaints or calls for change.

Source:

Global Arbitration Review