4 Establishment and Organisation of an Arbitral Tribunal

Subject(s):

Appointment of arbitrator — Challenge to appointment of arbitrator — Replacement of arbitrator

This chapter describes the creation of the arbitral tribunal, the step in the arbitration process that follows the decision to start arbitration. Choosing the right arbitral tribunal is critical to the success of the arbitral process. It is a choice that impacts not only on the parties to the particular dispute, but also on the reputation and standing of the process itself. It is, above all, the quality of the arbitral tribunal that makes or breaks the arbitration, and it is one of the unique factors distinguishing arbitration from national judicial proceedings. There are several different methods of appointing an arbitral tribunal, of which the chapter enumerates and discusses the six most usual: by agreement of the parties; by means of the list system; by the co-arbitrators appointing a presiding arbitrator; by a professional institution or a trade association, such as the ICC; and by a national court.