Fast, Fair, or Fiction? Rethinking Efficiency in International Arbitration

Presentation

Efficiency has become the watchword of modern international arbitration. Institutions promise expedited procedures, users demand shorter timelines and tighter budgets, and tribunals are under increasing pressure to deliver swift awards without compromising due process. But what does “efficiency” really mean—and at what cost?
This panel will critically examine whether the drive for speed and cost control enhances or undermines the core values of international arbitration. Speakers will explore the tension between procedural economy and procedural fairness, the role of tribunals in active case management, and the growing use of expedited and summary procedures. The discussion will also address document production, virtual hearings, and the strategic behavior of parties—asking whether efficiency reforms truly reduce time and expense or merely shift them elsewhere.
Bringing together arbitrators, counsel, and in-house users, the panel will offer practical insights on designing procedures that are proportionate to the dispute, enforceable across jurisdictions, and resilient to due process challenges. Ultimately, the session asks: can arbitration be simultaneously fast and fair, or is the promise of efficiency sometimes more fiction than reality?