Rising to the Challenge: When the Arbitrator becomes the Issue
Date: 30 September 2025
Time: 5:00pm to 6:30pm
Venue: NTUC Centre, 1 Marina Boulevard, Singapore 018989
The legitimacy and effectiveness of international arbitration rest fundamentally on the independence and impartiality of arbitrators. Recent years have seen heightened scrutiny of arbitrator conduct, with parties and institutions alike grappling with complex questions of bias, disclosure, and the evolving standards for challenge. This event will explore the latest developments and practical challenges in upholding arbitrator independence, drawing on leading scholarship and recent case law.
Our distinguished panel will address the core principles underpinning arbitrator impartiality as well as the role of institutions when a challenge against an arbitrator arises. The panel will provide insights into how arbitrators react when faced with these challenges in practice – particularly, in cases where a challenge in unfounded, how they should react without providing ammunition to a party, or in cases where they may have slipped up, how they should address the parties. The panel will also consider procedural aspects of a challenge the nuances of disclosure obligations, and the practical application of international standards such as the IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest.
Singapore Institute of Arbitrators c/o CMA International Consultants Pte Ltd
60 Albert Street, #10-06, OG Albert Complex, Singapore 189969
Tel: (65) 6336 2328 | Fax: (65) 6336 2583 | secretariat@siarb.org.sg | Website: https://siarb.org.sg/
Our Speakers
Michael Hwang S.C. Senior Counsel of Supreme Court of Singapore and Chartered Arbitrator of England and Wales
Sarah Grimmer, Arbitrator, Twenty Essex
Moderator: Tan Jun Hong, Advocate, Duxton Hill Chambers
Event Objectives
SIArb’s mission includes the education of arbitration practitioners, the development of the arbitration profession and the promotion of arbitration more generally. Its mission also includes providing social and networking opportunities for all those involved in the Singapore arbitration industry, including younger practitioners. Attendees will gain insights into best practices for both arbitrators and counsel, including how to navigate the fine line between necessary disclosure and the risk of frivolous challenges.