Procedural formalities in arbitration : towards a technologically neutral legal framework

This article addresses the ongoing process of digitalization in arbitration proceedings, particularly in light of the recent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. It focuses on the different communications that occur throughout arbitration proceedings, i.e. written communication at the start and during the proceedings, oral communication at hearings, and the rendering of the arbitral award. The authors assess the past, present and future use of digital means of communication in relation to each of these instances, and analyse the extent to which the applicable legal framework (institutional rules, national laws, and the New York Convention) is actually an obstacle to digitalization. They find that the evolution towards more technologically oriented proceedings had already started, but that the COVID-19 pandemic will likely be a decisive step towards fully digital arbitration proceedings. The authors welcome that evolution, and argue that there are no overriding legal or policy arguments to hold back this trend