A wannabe arbitrator is best advised to acquire fellowship status from the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. This body has been transformed in recent years into the professional association for arbitrators in the UK and, given its worldwide membership and structure, in many other places as well. This position has been acquired because it now confers a well-recognised professional qualification and has developed training courses and fellowship status, which it both examines for and confers. For those in active practice as arbitrators, a system is now in place comprising annual compulsory professional development, peer review, mentoring, a code of conduct and a disciplinary process backed by sanctions. There is no legal requirement for a person who accepts an appointment as an arbitrator to have any qualification let alone one related to arbitration. Indeed, it would be a surprise to those who acted as arbitrators in construction disputes even 20 years ago to learn that a profession of arbitrators had developed and that arbitrators were expected to have a recognised professional qualification.
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