Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom and Ireland

Related legal acts

Key definition

Arbitration definition

What does Arbitration mean? Arbitration is a private process where parties resolve disputes by one or more arbitrators who issue a final, binding award instead of a court judgment. It is consensual, usually agreed by an arbitration clause, and the law of the seat governs the procedure (lex arbitri). In England and Wales and Northern Ireland, the Arbitration Act 1996 applies. Courts stay court proceedings in favour of arbitration, provide support, and enforce awards; challenges are limited to lack of jurisdiction (s.67), serious irregularity (s.68) and, unless excluded, appeal on a point of law (s.69). In Scotland, the Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010 provides a similar...

Arbitration in the Republic of Ireland: seat advantages, legal framework, court role, enforcement and challenges, costs, construction adjudication, and key case law (2010–2025)

Published by a LexisNexis Arbitration expert

Practice notes

Ireland as a Seat of arbitration

In recent years, the Republic of Ireland (Ireland) has pursued a focused drive to position itself as a hub for International arbitration. These initiatives have intensified since the UK’s departure from the EU, with representative bodies such as Arbitration Ireland arguing that Dublin can attract cross-border dispute work at London’s expense. September 2024 saw the second Dublin International Disputes Week, building on the now well‑established Dublin International Arbitration Day. Ireland’s principal selling points in this respect include:

a common law jurisdiction
membership of the European Union
excellent infrastructure and facilities
a pool of highly skilled professional expertise
adoption of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (the Model Law)

The Irish courts have traditionally shown deference to contracting parties’ selection of arbitration as their chosen means of resolving disputes...

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Arran Dowling-Hussey , FCIArb, Barrister

4-5 Gray’s Inn Square

Arran Dowling-Hussey is an experienced barrister, adjudicator, arbitrator and mediator. He is also called in London (2007) and Belfast (2006) has rights of audience in the Courts of the Abu Dhabi Global Market (“ADGM”) (2020) and at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Courts (2020). Arran is also based at 4-5 Gray’s Inn Square in London https://www.4-5.co.uk/barristers/profile/arran-dowling-hussey. His practice includes advocacy, drafting statements of case, contractual documents and advising on commercial, chancery, construction, alternative dispute resolution (ADR) and international matters. Arran is a member of a number of London based legal/construction and/or ADR committees including the Council of the Society of Construction Law, Board of Trustees of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the committee of the Adjudication Society.Arran has been recognised for his work as counsel with a number of awards including from Finance Monthly. He is comfortable working for a range of clients from individual litigants to large...

Catherine Needham

The Bar of Ireland

Catherine Needham BL holds a MSc Business and Finance, the Barrister at Law Degree (The Honourable Society in Kings Inns), a Certificate in Commercial Contracts (The Law Society of Ireland), a Post Graduate Diploma in Construction Law and Contract Law (Trinity College Dublin), a Professional Diploma in Arbitration Law (UCD) and is a PhD (Law) Candidate. Catherine is a Junior Counsel practising in Commercial and Public Law, Media Law and Property Law and Construction Law. She has appeared before the Irish Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal and the High Court. She is a member of the Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Committee of the Bar of Ireland, the Construction Bar of Ireland, the Negotiation Committee of the Bar of Ireland, the Finance Committee of the Bar of Ireland and Co- Editor of The Bar Review. She is a committee member of The Society of...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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