The revision of the SCC Rules

The institutional arbitration rules of The Stockholm Commerce of Chamber entered into force on the first of January 2010 and are applicable to any arbitration commenced after this date. In attempt to create more time and cost efficient arbitration procedures in the future the SCC will comprehensively renew its institutional rules as well as the rules for expedited arbitrations. The revised SCC rules will come into effect on the first of January 2017.

How will the revision happen?

The revision of the SCC rules has started already in 2014 when the Stockholm Commerce of Chamber established a Committee and three special committees with experts from various arbitration communities to improve the rules and practices. Each special committee has been granted with its own field of focus; The Arbitration Rules, The Rules for Expedited Arbitration and investment disputes will be posed to some changes.

With attempts to create more user-friendly arbitration procedure, the opinions of the users are highly valued among the Revision Committee. Thus, while drafting the new rules, The Committee has granted users various opportunities to propose changes and improvements to the existing rules. The object of the tour is also to share information about the revision in progress. To allow wide exchange of users’ experience, The Revision Committee has invited users to discuss the draft rules in various cities in Sweden as well as in some cities in China.

The drafting of new institutional rules is finished and next the international arbitration community will have a chance to give its commentaries and proposals about the renovation. The commentaries will be followed by a hearing in June 2016 in Stockholm.

What will be revised?

The object of the revision is to make the best arbitration practices available to unique disputes. The revision will bring some new practices to the SCC rules that aim to facilitate arbitrations. Arbitral tribunals confirmed after the new SCC rules have come into force will be able to use an administrative secretary in arbitration proceedings. The revision will also fill some gaps in the current SCC regulation. As multi-party arbitrations, including third-party joinders, have become more common, this opportunity will be also improved in the new institutional rules of the SCC.

Hearing on the draft SCC rules

On the 9^th of June an open hearing was held by the Revision Committee to further discuss the changes to the Arbitration Rules. Also commentaries, given along the journey, were introduced to the audience.

During the hearing, the proposed new possibilities of the SCC rules were widely discussed and the committee received many opinions concerning the new provisions. Especially new rules allowing use of administrative secretary as well as summary procedures in future arbitration procedures stroke the interest of the audience.

Also a new codification possibility to change Expedited Rules to Arbitration Rules was proposed to the Revision Committee.