Arbitration council to grade dispute resolution institutions: Law Minister

The government plans to set up an Arbitration Council of India that will “grade” institutions involved in alternative dispute resolution on commercial issues and come up with regulations for effective arbitration, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said.

The proposal to set up the council is part of the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2018 which had received cabinet nod on Wednesday.

Prasad said existing International Centre for Alternative Dispute Resolution will be acquired to facilitate establishment of the council. He said it was “appalling” that the institute, which came into force in 1995, had till 2017 decided only 21disputes.


The proposed council, he said, will be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or a retired chief justice of a high court or an eminent person with experience in administration of arbitration.

The council will also be declared an institution of national importance, Prasad said.

He said the amendments in the bill will provide “architecture” for effective and quality arbitration in matters of international and domestic disputes.