Code of Ethics for Arbitrators

It will be evident from the foregoing discussion about the duties and responsibilities of the arbitrator on the one hand and his powers and immunity from liability on the other, that in spite of elaborate legal provisions and precedents on the subject, considerable uncertainty and doubt still exist in the minds of many arbitrators on several matters regarding the precise conduct to be adopted by the arbitrator during the arbitration proceedings and the overall question of the ethics of the arbitrators. The need for suitable norms for the arbitration proceedings is all the more pronounced in international arbitration proceedings because of the involvement and interaction of the arbitration law and practice of different countries. In view of the above, several important legal and arbitral organizations including the International Bar Association (Section on Business Law), the Vancouver Maritime Arbitrators Association, the American Arbitration Association, etc have evolved Codes of Ethics for International Arbitrators. The above Codes of Ethics are worth perusal for information and guidance in international arbitrations. Two of the important codes of ethics for international arbitrators i.e. those prepared by the International Bar Association and the Vancouver Maritime Arbitrators Association, are given below.