Arbitrability Basics: An Illustration Of The "Autonomy" Principle

Arbitration is a creature of contract. So is the law concerning contracts with an arbitration clause the same as the law concerning any other contract? Almost. One must always bear in mind the "separability" or "independence" of the arbitration agreement — the autonomy principle.

For example, should a plaintiff be compelled to arbitrate a dispute if the contract containing the ADR clause has expired? What if the contract containing the arbitration clause is unconscionable as a matter of public policy? A plaintiff may nonetheless be compelled to arbitrate in order to resolve his dispute, as illustrated recently in a decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. And that court also provided a helpful reminder regarding the crucial question of who decides such issues. But the Court took a while before arriving at the critical points.