Toronto As A Seat For Commercial Arbitration

As a more convenient and less expensive place to conduct an arbitration than many of the world's more traditional arbitration centres, Toronto is quickly gaining recognition as one of the best places to arbitrate commercial disputes.

In 1986, Canada became the first country to adopt arbitral legislation based on the UNCITRAL Model Law. Soon after, Ontario adopted the International Commercial Arbitration Act and the Arbitration Act, 1991, putting Canada and Ontario on the arbitral map. Essential to Model Law is party autonomy and limited court intervention and, with very few exceptions, Ontario courts have shown a willingness to interpret the legislation in accordance with these principles. The result is that parties are free to design their own arbitral process with minimal intervention from the court.