INTERNATIONAL DISPUTE RESOLUTION

The New Zealand International Dispute Resolution Centre (NZIDRC) and the New Zealand International Arbitration Centre (NZIAC) provide effective fora for the settlement of international trade, commerce, investment and cross-border disputes in the Australasian/Pan Pacific region.

The objects of NZIDRC and NZIAC are to support and facilitate international dispute resolution and to promote New Zealand as a venue for international commercial arbitrations and mediations.

NZIDRC and NZIAC respectively maintain panels of mediators and arbitrators who are recognised and respected globally as leaders in international dispute resolution.

Ideal neutral location

New Zealand provides an ideal, neutral and independent venue or seat for international arbitration and for international mediation.

New Zealand is geographically well located in the South Pacific nestled centrally between Asia, Australia, the Pacific Islands and the western seaboard of the United States and South America.

New Zealand is well served by international airlines with frequent scheduled flights to its well appointed and efficient international airports. Travel within New Zealand is safe and easy and visitors are well served with world class accommodation and of course New Zealand’s stunning natural scenery, viticulture and food are world renowned and to be enjoyed by any visitor.

New Zealand is a modern, dynamic country with an open economy and business environment. New Zealand is politically stable and has excellent infrastructure, communication, technology and a supportive legal environment that underpins the efficacy of international dispute resolution.

Supportive legal environment

New Zealand has been at the forefront of the development of modern arbitration legislation having enacted in 1996 a modern statute based on the UNCITRAL Law on International Commercial Arbitration (the Model law). When the Arbitration Amendment Act 2007 came into force on 18 October 2007, New Zealand became the first country in the world to adopt the whole of the new UNCITRAL legislative provisions on interim measures and preliminary orders with only a few minor modifications.

New Zealand has been a signatory to the Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral awards, New York, 1958 (the New York Convention) since 1983.

New Zealand’s courts are independent of the state, efficient, and of the highest integrity. New Zealand Courts offer strong judicial support for arbitration, upholding arbitration agreements and applying the Act in accordance with its principal underlying themes of: party autonomy; reduced judicial involvement in the arbitral process; consistency with laws from other jurisdictions; and, increased powers for the arbitral tribunal.

Part 17 of the High Court Rules supplements the Arbitration Act by setting out certain procedural rules for court proceedings in relation to arbitral matters.

Foreign lawyers may appear in arbitrations conducted in New Zealand. The Act does not impose any qualifications/formal requirements as to those who may appear or represent parties to an arbitration and a party may be represented by any person of their choice.

New Zealand is unique in having statutory protection of confidentiality in arbitration unless the parties agree otherwise.

New Zealand is renowned for its legal and technological expertise. There are excellent facilities and technological resources to support the conduct of arbitration in New Zealand.

Costs of arbitration are generally lower in New Zealand than in most other comparable jurisdictions.