Virtual Arbitration Hearings

During the COVID-19 pandemic, various arbitral institutions, such as the International Court of Arbitration (ICC), the American Arbitration Association (AAA), the Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC), the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) declared their intention to ensure that international arbitration proceeds in a stable and foreseeable manner during this period, by publishing a joint statement.¹ In this context, virtual hearings are explicitly permitted in some of the arbitral institutions' rules such as Article 26(1) of the revised ICC Arbitration Rules of 2021.² Virtual arbitration rules differ according to the authorized arbitral institution.³