In force from: January 2025 | Revised: June 2026

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Preamble

The London International Arbitration Court (LIACourt) provides independent, professional, and confidential dispute resolution services in the fields of international and domestic arbitration, mediation, and hybrid proceedings. These Rules govern the administration of all proceedings filed with LIACourt and are designed to ensure efficiency, fairness, and procedural transparency.

These Rules shall apply to all proceedings commenced on or after the date shown above, unless the parties have agreed otherwise in writing.

 

PART I — GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1 — Scope and Application

1.1 These Rules apply to all arbitration, mediation, and hybrid proceedings administered by LIACourt, whether arising from a contractual arbitration or mediation clause, a submission agreement, or a direct referral by agreement of the parties.

1.2 By submitting a dispute to LIACourt, the parties agree to comply with these Rules and to be bound by any award, decision, or settlement agreement issued under them.

1.3 Where the parties have agreed in writing to vary these Rules, such variation shall take effect only to the extent permitted by the applicable law.

1.4 LIACourt shall administer all proceedings through its online case management portal at liacourt.org.uk, and all procedural steps, document submissions, and communications shall, unless otherwise directed, be conducted via the portal.

 

Article 2 — Definitions

In these Rules, unless the context requires otherwise:

• “Arbitral Tribunal” means a sole arbitrator or a panel of three arbitrators appointed under these Rules.
• “Award” means a final, partial, interim, or consent award issued by the Arbitral Tribunal.
• “Case Manager” means the LIACourt-appointed administrator responsible for the day-to-day administration of proceedings.
• “Claimant” means the party or parties initiating the proceedings.
• “Respondent” means the party or parties against whom proceedings are initiated.
• “Mediator” means the neutral third-party professional appointed to conduct mediation proceedings.
• “Notice of Arbitration / Mediation” means the formal written notice filed by the Claimant to commence proceedings.
• “Seat” means the legal place of arbitration, which shall be London, England, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
• “Tribunal” includes sole arbitrator and panel of arbitrators.

 

Article 3 — Communications and Notices

3.1 All notices, submissions, and communications between the parties and LIACourt shall be made via the secure portal at liacourt.org.uk unless the Case Manager directs otherwise.

3.2 A communication submitted via the portal is deemed received on the date it is logged in the case timeline, provided it is submitted before 17:00 (London time) on a business day. Communications submitted after that time or on a non-business day are deemed received on the next business day.

3.3 All documents submitted must be in English or accompanied by a certified English translation. LIACourt may accept submissions in other languages at its discretion.

 

PART II — COMMENCEMENT OF PROCEEDINGS

Article 4 — Notice of Arbitration / Mediation

4.1 A party wishing to commence proceedings shall submit a Notice of Arbitration or Notice of Mediation (as applicable) through the LIACourt portal or via email to contact@liacourt.org.uk. The Notice shall include:

(a) The full names, contact details, and addresses of all parties;
(b) A description of the dispute and the relief or outcome sought;
(c) A reference to the arbitration or mediation clause or agreement relied upon;
(d) The type of proceedings requested (Arbitration, Mediation, or Hybrid);
(e) Any proposal regarding the number of arbitrators or mediators and their qualifications.

4.2 The date of commencement of proceedings is the date on which LIACourt receives a complete Notice, subject to receipt of the Registration Fee as set out in the Schedule of Fees.

4.3 LIACourt shall, within five (5) business days of receiving a complete Notice, acknowledge receipt and notify the Respondent, providing them with a copy of the Notice and inviting a Response.

 

Article 5 — Response

5.1 The Respondent shall submit a written Response within twenty-one (21) calendar days of receipt of the Notice, unless LIACourt grants an extension.

5.2 The Response shall include: (a) Confirmation of receipt of the Notice;
(b) Any objections to jurisdiction or the conduct of proceedings;
(c) A brief statement of the Respondent’s position on the dispute;
(d) Any counterclaims, with supporting details.

5.3 Failure to submit a Response shall not prevent the proceedings from continuing. LIACourt and the Tribunal shall not treat silence as an admission of the Claimant’s claims.

 

PART III — THE ARBITRAL TRIBUNAL AND MEDIATORS

Article 6 — Number of Arbitrators

6.1 Unless the parties have agreed otherwise, proceedings shall be conducted before a sole arbitrator where the amount in dispute does not exceed £250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand pounds sterling), and before a tribunal of three arbitrators for disputes above that threshold.

6.2 LIACourt may, at its discretion and in the interests of efficiency, appoint a sole arbitrator regardless of the amount in dispute, with the consent of both parties.

 

Article 7 — Appointment of Arbitrators

7.1 The parties may agree on the appointment of arbitrators within twenty-one (21) days of the commencement of proceedings. In the absence of agreement, LIACourt shall appoint the arbitrators from its panel.

7.2 In a three-member tribunal, each party shall nominate one arbitrator, and LIACourt shall appoint the presiding arbitrator. If a party fails to nominate within the required timeframe, LIACourt shall make the appointment on that party’s behalf.

7.3 All arbitrators must be and remain independent and impartial throughout the proceedings. Upon appointment, each arbitrator shall sign a Declaration of Independence and Impartiality.

7.4 Any challenge to an arbitrator’s independence or impartiality must be raised within ten (10) days of the appointment or the discovery of the relevant facts. LIACourt shall decide on the challenge and its decision shall be final.

 

Article 8 — Appointment of Mediators

8.1 In mediation proceedings, LIACourt shall appoint a qualified mediator from its panel, taking into account the nature of the dispute, the parties’ preferences, and the mediator’s availability.

8.2 The parties may jointly nominate a mediator for LIACourt’s approval. LIACourt shall confirm the appointment within five (5) business days.

8.3 The mediator shall be and remain impartial and neutral throughout the mediation process.

 

PART IV — CONDUCT OF PROCEEDINGS

Article 9 — Procedural Timetable

9.1 Following the constitution of the Tribunal, the Case Manager shall issue an initial procedural timetable in consultation with the parties. This shall include:

• Deadline for the Claimant’s Statement of Claim;
• Deadline for the Respondent’s Statement of Defence;
• Any further rounds of written submissions;
• Date(s) of the preliminary hearing (if any);
• Date(s) of the main hearing.

9.2 The Tribunal may adjust the timetable at the request of a party or on its own initiative, provided the adjustment does not cause disproportionate delay or prejudice to either party.

 

Article 10 — Written Submissions and Evidence

10.1 All written submissions and supporting documents shall be filed via the portal. File formats accepted are: PDF, Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), and images (.jpg, .png). Individual files may not exceed 50 MB.

10.2 The Tribunal shall determine all matters relating to the admissibility, relevance, materiality, and weight of the evidence presented.

10.3 Expert evidence may be submitted in writing. The Tribunal may, at its discretion, allow or require oral examination of experts at a hearing.

 

Article 11 — Hearings

11.1 The Tribunal shall hold a hearing if either party requests one or if the Tribunal considers it necessary. Hearings may be conducted in person, by video conference, or by a combination of both.

11.2 The Tribunal shall give the parties reasonable notice of the date, time, and format of any hearing. At least fourteen (14) days’ notice shall be given unless the parties agree to shorter notice.

11.3 Hearings are private. Only the parties, their legal representatives, witnesses (while giving evidence), and persons authorised by the Tribunal may attend.

11.4 The Tribunal may proceed in the absence of a party that has been duly notified but fails to appear, without treating such absence as an admission.

 

Article 12 — Mediation Procedure

12.1 In mediation proceedings, the Mediator shall facilitate structured discussions between the parties with the aim of reaching a mutually acceptable settlement.

12.2 The mediation process is without prejudice. Statements made, documents produced, and positions taken during mediation shall not be used in any subsequent arbitral or court proceedings, except by agreement of the parties.

12.3 If the parties reach a settlement, the Mediator shall assist in drafting a written Settlement Agreement, which the parties shall sign. The Settlement Agreement is binding on the parties.

12.4 If no settlement is reached within sixty (60) days of the appointment of the Mediator (unless extended by agreement), the mediation is deemed concluded without settlement and the parties may proceed to arbitration.

 

PART V — AWARDS AND DECISIONS

Article 13 — Making of the Award

13.1 The Arbitral Tribunal shall make its Award in writing, stating the reasons upon which it is based, unless the parties have agreed that no reasons need be given.

13.2 In proceedings with three arbitrators, the Award shall be made by a majority. If no majority can be formed, the presiding arbitrator’s decision shall prevail.

13.3 The Award shall be signed by the arbitrators and shall state the date and the Seat of arbitration.

13.4 LIACourt shall publish the Award to the parties via the portal. The Award is binding on the parties from the date it is published.

 

Article 14 — Types of Award

14.1 Final Award — Resolves all outstanding matters in the proceedings.
14.2 Partial Award — Resolves one or more issues while other issues remain pending.
14.3 Interim Award — Grants interim relief or measures pending the Final Award.
14.4 Consent Award — Records a settlement reached by the parties during proceedings.

 

Article 15 — Correction and Interpretation of Award

15.1 Within twenty-one (21) days of receipt of the Award, a party may request the Tribunal to: (a) Correct any clerical, typographical, or arithmetical error in the Award;
(b) Provide an interpretation of a specific point or passage in the Award.

15.2 The Tribunal shall rule on such a request within twenty-one (21) days of receipt.

 

PART VI — CONFIDENTIALITY

Article 16 — Confidentiality of Proceedings

16.1 All proceedings, submissions, awards, and documents exchanged in proceedings administered by LIACourt are strictly confidential. The parties, their representatives, the Tribunal, the Mediator, and LIACourt personnel shall maintain this confidentiality.

16.2 No party may publish or disclose any information relating to the proceedings without the prior written consent of all other parties, except: (a) Where required by law, regulation, or court order;
(b) To the extent necessary to enforce the Award;
(c) To the extent necessary to protect a party’s legal rights in other proceedings.

16.3 LIACourt may publish anonymised case statistics and general information about proceedings for institutional purposes, provided no party can be identified.

 

PART VII — COSTS

Article 17 — Costs of Arbitration

17.1 The costs of arbitration include: (a) LIACourt’s administrative fees, as set out in the Schedule of Fees;
(b) The fees and expenses of the Arbitral Tribunal;
(c) Reasonable costs of legal representation and expert witnesses.

17.2 Unless otherwise agreed, the Tribunal shall determine the allocation of costs in the Award. As a general principle, the unsuccessful party bears the costs of the proceedings, but the Tribunal may apportion costs differently taking into account the circumstances.

17.3 Parties shall pay an equal advance on costs at the outset of proceedings. If a party fails to pay its share, the other party may pay in its place, and this shall be taken into account in the costs allocation.

 

Article 18 — Schedule of Fees

Fees will be discussed during the process.

LIACourt reserves the right to request additional deposits where the scope or complexity of proceedings warrants it.

 

PART VIII — MISCELLANEOUS

Article 19 — Governing Law of the Rules

These Rules and all proceedings administered under them shall be governed by English law. The Seat of arbitration is London, England, unless otherwise agreed by the parties.

Article 20 — Exclusion of Liability

LIACourt, its directors, officers, employees, Case Managers, and appointed neutrals shall not be liable to any party for any act or omission in connection with the administration of proceedings, except in cases of deliberate misconduct or bad faith.

Article 21 — Amendments

LIACourt reserves the right to amend these Rules at any time. Proceedings already commenced shall continue under the Rules in force at the time of commencement, unless the parties and LIACourt agree to apply the amended Rules.

Article 22 — Contact

London International Arbitration Court
Website: liacourt.org.uk
Email: contact@liacourt.org.uk