This post, which continues the topic considered here and here, discusses the main issues to consider when choosing arbitration to resolve smart contracts disputes, and lists a number of red flags that emerge from a survey of white papers on arbitrating smart contract disputes prepared by the tech community.
(1) The Form of Smart Contract
As discussed by R3 and Norton Rose Fulbright here, there may be legal risks in some jurisdictions with having the smart contract entirely in code language. Accordingly, we advise parties to have a hybrid version of smart contract (sometimes called “Ricardian Contract”) whereby there is a text-based version of the same force in addition to the encrypted-coded-language smart contract. Further, Article II of the New York Convention requires an agreement to arbitrate to be in writing. In addition, the New York Convention requires an agreement to arbitrate to be signed unless it’s in the form of exchange of letters or telegrams. The definition of “an agreement in writing” and “signing” is interpreted differently across the various jurisdictions. It’s difficult to predict whether a smart contract encrypted in code would satisfy these requirements beforehand. Therefore, smart contracts run the risk of not being enforced under the New York Convention, unless they have an equivalent traditional word-format contract signed by both parties.
(2) The Seat of Arbitration:
Parties to smart contracts should prioritize their choice of the seat of arbitration. In essence, a seat of arbitration underpins the legal framework controlling all legal aspects of the arbitral process. As discussed by Clyde & Co here, the seat of the arbitration will normally determine the law applicable to the procedure of the arbitration as well as the involvement/ intervention, as appropriate, which the courts of the seat, will have. Also, the seat of arbitration will determine the arbitrability of the subject matter of the dispute. Unfortunately, some jurisdictions are not “arbitration-friendly” as they have laws which restrict party autonomy, for example, by allowing the courts to intervene extensively in the arbitral process. On the other hand, some jurisdictions’ laws are relatively “arbitration-friendly” and allow the parties a high degree of procedural autonomy. Whether an arbitral award may be challenged will be determined according to the seat of the arbitration. Further, the extent to which judicial review is available to parties will be dependent on the law of the seat of arbitration. Also, the law of the seat of the arbitration will govern the extent to which an award is considered final.In this regard, it is important to consider a myriad of questions, particularly when deciding upon the seat, including, how the local arbitration law of the seat operates, whether the local courts are “arbitration-friendly, and whether the seat acknowledges the legal binding effects of smart contracts.
(3) The Validity and Arbitrability of the Subject-Matter of the Smart Contract:
Before entering into a smart contract, the parties should be aware of the identity of the subject matter of their contract. They should try to investigate whether such a subject matter is valid under the law of the seat of arbitration and also under the law applicable to the merits. In this regard, the parties should also ensure that the subject matter of their smart contract is arbitrable under the law of the seat of arbitration. Failing to inquire about the validity and the arbitrability of the subject matter of the smart contract could deem the arbitration process entirely useless.
(4) The Capacity of the Parties to Enter into the Smart Contracts:
Parties to a smart contract must have legal capacity to enter into such a contract or otherwise it could be considered invalid. Parties should be aware that their capacity is usually determined by the law of domicile of each party, rather than the law of the seat of arbitration or any other law. Therefore, if one of the parties comes from a jurisdiction that does not recognize smart contracts, this might affect such a party’s ability to enter into the contract. Further, it might serve such a party as a legal loophole to evade its obligations under the smart contract in the future.
(5) The Law Applicable to the Merits of the Dispute:
The parties to smart contracts should choose the same jurisdiction for the seat of arbitration and the law applicable to the merits of the dispute. In this regard, jurisdictions such as Arizona, Tennessee, and Delaware are currently considered the friendliest jurisdictions for legal enforcement of smart contracts.
(6) The Number of Arbitrators:
The parties in international arbitration are usually allowed to choose their arbitrators. The norm is that each party chooses one arbitrator and then both parties or the selected arbitrators, as the case may be, will choose the chair of the arbitral tribunal. The parties should try and avoid choosing an even number of arbitrators as this could be considered to be in violation of various arbitration laws around the world. Also, the parties should not try to choose a number of arbitrators more than three arbitrators or otherwise they might run afoul of the law of the seat of arbitration. The provision regarding the number of arbitrators could be considered a public policy issue at the seat of arbitration.
(7) The Technical Qualifications of the Arbitrators:
Parties should try to choose arbitrators who possess the technical knowledge to adjudicate the smart contracts disputes, especially if the dispute is concerning a technical bug for example. This will save the parties time and money when they proceed with arbitration and will enable them to benefit from one of the most important benefits of arbitration.
(8) The Confidentiality of the Smart Contract Disputes:
Parties should be aware that arbitration is not confidential by default. Therefore, they should provide explicitly for the confidentiality of their dispute under the smart contract. Otherwise, they might run the risk of exposing their confidential information to the public.
Survey of Blockchain-Arbitration White Papers – Red Flags
The author has surveyed 6 white papers prepared by the tech community as blockchain-based arbitration solutions for smart contracts’ disputes. The author has carefully selected the white papers included in this survey; so, this is not an exhaustive survey by any means of all the white papers promoting blockchain-based arbitration services. The author tries to assess how far the tech community is taking into consideration all the potential legal dilemmas associated with arbitrating smart contracts’ disputes. The blockchain tech community has not developed a single project that analyzes thoroughly all the risks associated with using the international arbitration mechanism for smart contracts dispute resolution. Therefore, the tech community needs to develop their models exponentially to accumulate enough experience in the field of arbitration of smart contracts, if/when the rate of smart contract dispute raises to a level where it’s profitable enough to engage in the field of arbitrating smart contracts.
Red Flags:
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During arbitral proceedings, the mediation process may cause some certain conflicts that requests the Arbitral Tribunal to seriously consider. Resolving effectively these conflicts based on fundamental legal principles and the arbitration skills of the Tribunal will ensure the rights and interests of disputing parties and third parties. This discourse focuses on analyzing potential conflicts and providing recommendations to the Tribunal to maximize the effectiveness of the mediation process and reduce conflict occurrence.
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According to the Department of Judicial Support , Ministry of Justice, currently , there have been 48 arbitration institutions established in our country, with over 600 arbitrators participating in resolving thousands of commercial disputes each year 1 . An arbitration service has been developed. Along with the growth , the trait of this service became more apparent , includi ng the relevance of third-party interests. Unlike court litigation, in principle, arbitration is a private dispute resolution method , therefore, the involvement of third parties is exceptional. The discourse discusses how the arbitral tribunal considers and guarantee s the third party's interest in the arbitra l proceedings by providing some situations in which disputing parties or the arbitral tribunal may need to consider the interests of third parties. The goal of arbitr ation is to make contributions to resolving disputes fairly, thereby encourag ing parties to fulfill their obligations voluntarily in order to avoid further dispute escalation of disputes . Based on the analysis , the author suggests policy improvements pertaining to third parties that may be considered in the upcoming revision of the Law on Commercial Arbitration.
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