Faculty of Advocates' new arbitration service receives international backing

Prior to next week’s launch by the Faculty of Advocates of a new personal injury arbitration service in Edinburgh, the Faculty published a series of endorsements of the initiative by legal experts and practitioners from a range of countries and jurisdictions.
 
The Faculty currently operates a facility – Faculty of Advocates Arbitration – under which it provides arbitration services in areas as diverse as family and agricultural law. The new personal injury arbitration service will extend choice and offer new options in dispute resolution.
 
Welcoming the international support, Professor David Parratt QC, Convenor of Faculty of Advocates Arbitration, said: “Providing this new service positions the Faculty, and by extension Scotland, as a centre of international excellence in arbitration. It is extremely encouraging that it has already received the endorsement of such distinguished and experienced legal figures in other countries and jurisdictions.
 
“Members of Faculty have invested heavily in making themselves knowledgeable and qualified in arbitration practice and procedure, and are ready to participate in the service both as counsel and, importantly, as arbitrators. The combination of these members’ skills and this Faculty innovation promises new approaches to resolving personal injury claims.”
 
Among those who have commented is Joe Matthews, Past President, International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He said: “I applaud this effort to bridge the gap between the Independent Referral Bar and the world of arbitration. As a close knit bar, the Faculty of Advocates in Scotland is a great place for experiments like this to increase access to justice and encourage participation by the best advocates in the arbitration realm.”

The new personal injury arbitration service will be launched at a conference that takes place on 29-30 September. It can be attended by lawyers and non-lawyers alike, and is for anyone interested in exploring arbitration as an option for resolving a dispute. To find out about attending, see: https://tinyurl.com/y97g9puf