Arbitrators Participate in Training Workshop

The Caribbean Chapter of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators now has 30 new Associate members, bringing the total membership to 45, following a recently concluded training workshop at the Courtleigh Hotel, in Kingston.
The disclosure was made by Convener and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Caribbean Chapter, John Bassie during an interview with JIS News.
“The Chapter now has a sizable body and basically we are looking to have these associate members move up to the other level of membership, ultimately hoping that they will be fellows in the years to come,” Mr. Bassie explained.
“The workshop provided people who are qualified to review international commercial arbitration and in fact be arbitrators in such matters and can get the relevant experience,” he noted.
According to the Convenor, the new members will be under the umbrella of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators – Caribbean Chapter and will receive the fullest support of the Institute.
The participants in the workshop consisted of attorneys-at-law, engineers and representatives from the private sector.
“It was a very good mix and so it should be noted that arbitrators do not have to be attorneys and vice versa, but we welcome persons from all professions because they offer different levels of expertise to the concept of arbitration,”
Mr. Bassie explained.
The programme was led by the world renowned Bermudan arbitrator and lecturer, Mr. Jeffrey Elkinson and covered areas such as international arbitration, litigation, powers and jurisdiction of Arbitral Tribunals, statements of claims and defence, role play sessions, among other topics.
Attorney-at-Law, Marguerite Macaulay, who participated in the one-day workshop, said it was interesting and represented a “good start for our arbitrators to work in Jamaica, the Commonwealth and the rest of the world.”
Meanwhile, mediator Conroy Daley of the Bethel Baptist Church noted that the workshop had whet his appetite to become a full-time arbitrator considering that there is a need for people to resolve disputes outside of the formal legal system.
The workshop was the first of its kind and the arbitrators can be contacted through the Dispute Resolution Foundation at the Peace Centre, 5 Camp Road, Kingston.