Law Minister Rijiju pitches for institutional arbitration; says AI can help arbitrators

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju said artificial intelligence (AI) can help arbitrators in tasks such as document review and analysis, legal research, and drafting of awards

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on February 19 batted for institutional arbitration in the country and pointed at loopholes in "ad hoc" arbitration, saying such proceedings are susceptible to court interventions which delay the final outcome.

He also said artificial intelligence (AI) can help arbitrators in tasks such as document review and analysis, legal research, and drafting of awards.

Addressing a Delhi Arbitration Weekend event at the Delhi High Court, he said majority of the people go for "ad hoc" arbitrations where the proceedings are not governed by pre-determined rules.

As a result, these proceedings are susceptible to court intervention at various stages which leads to delay in final decision for the parties involved. On the other hand, Mr. Rijiju pointed out, institutional arbitrations are regulated by the rules of an institution that provide for a more structured and secure process.

In addition, parties can benefit from the expertise of the arbitral institution having good quality infrastructure, he said.

He said the government's Vision 2030 is to see arbitration space remain dynamic, amendable to adopting best practices, as also conscious of the needs of time-bound and final adjudication of contractual disputes.

With the emphasis on institutional arbitration, it is essential that new arbitration centres are set up in non-metro cities, he felt.