Specialist dispute resolution mechanisms catering to specific industry needs are popular in international commerce, and arbitration has emerged as the dominant industry choice for resolving shipping disputes, in particular charterparty disputes. Indeed important maritime arbitration centres have long been established in London and New York, and more recently others have started to emerge in countries such as Russia, China and Singapore. London remains a leader in this field with a large number of disputes being decided each year through arbitration in accordance with the terms of the London Maritime Arbitrators Association. The module will tackle questions such as: What is special about maritime arbitration and what distinguishes it from general commercial arbitration? What are the features of maritime arbitration that make it particularly popular? Is arbitration by its nature more suited to the resolution of disputes arising in connection with certain types of shipping contracts (e.g. charterparties) rather than others (e.g. contracts of carriage contained in bills of lading)? Why? What are the implications of widespread use of arbitration for the continued development of shipping law?
3.15 hour examination
30 Credits