Disputes concerning public order and their arbitrability: A comparative study

Section: Article
Issue
Vol. 26 No. 93 (28)
Published
Dec 1, 2025
Pages
33-70

Abstract

This research examines the important question of whether disputes involving matters of public order can be resolved through arbitration, whether in domestic or international contexts. Traditionally, many legal systems restrict arbitration by requiring that the dispute not relate to public order, which raises a potential conflict and increases the significance of this inquiry. The study finds that contemporary legal trends particularly within jurisprudence and judicial practice have gradually narrowed the concept of public order in determining arbitrability. As a result, the scope of disputes that may be settled by arbitration has expanded. Public order is no longer viewed as a categorical barrier to arbitration in many types of cases, especially in domestic arbitration, and even more so within international arbitration frameworks.This research examines the important question of whether disputes involving matters of public order can be resolved through arbitration, whether in domestic or international contexts. Traditionally, many legal systems restrict arbitration by requiring that the dispute not relate to public order, which raises a potential conflict and increases the significance of this inquiry. The study finds that contemporary legal trends particularly within jurisprudence and judicial practice have gradually narrowed the concept of public order in determining arbitrability. As a result, the scope of disputes that may be settled by arbitration has expanded. Public order is no longer viewed as a categorical barrier to arbitration in many types of cases, especially in domestic arbitration, and even more so within international arbitration frameworks.

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Author

Yousef M. Shandi

Identifiers

https://doi.org/10.33899/alaw.v26i93.54219
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