Welcome

The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Irish Branch, is the authority on the regulation, administration, training and promotion of arbitration on the island of Ireland. There are some 600 members in the Irish Branch and the membership is drawn from a wide cross section to include lawyers, architects, surveyors and engineers.

The approach and methodology of arbitration has been proved to be particularly suitable for disputes where privacy and the specific industry expertise of the tribunal can be employed to provide fast tracked hearings, enforceable judgements and which can provide the most cost effective use of management time and company resources for all involved. The predominance of visible arbitration in recent years in Ireland has been especially reflected in the referral of disputes that arise in the construction arena and which might span any activity from house building to the design and commissioning of the largest of industrial process plants. The arbitration process has continually proven to be effective in dealing with disputes arising from complex issues of performance, cost over-runs, punch listing, design specifications etc. The usefulness and power of the arbitration process, however, need not be and is not limited to one industry and there are several well established schemes for the arbitration of disputes that arise in the sports world, the motor trade, the travel trade and other specialist areas such as land valuation for new road projects.

It is the aim of the Irish Branch to promote the potential of arbitration in Ireland in the widest sense and to demonstrate, whenever possible, that the principles of arbitration have a sound and practical application not only in dealing with most contemporary commercial disputes but also as a process ideally suited to disagreements that necessarily need fast resolution - the e-commerce world is one such arena that will come easily to mind to most people.

The scope of arbitration in Ireland truly does have the capacity to reflect the nature and ever emerging needs of this open economy and the arbitration process and expertise established here is ready to be applied effectively and confidently to assist with the settlement of either domestic or international business disputes.

The Irish Branch welcomes any enquiries into ways we can be of specific assistance in the management of any commercial disputes through arbitration.