The recent development of online arbitration rules in China

Online arbitration is not a newcomer in the realm of arbitration. Some arbitration institutions have developed technological innovation in arbitration but online arbitration is still not yet widely used because it simply serves as a tool to facilitate arbitration proceedings. This article discusses the recently published online arbitration rules by Guangzhou Arbitration Commission in 2015. Online arbitration provides, on the one hand, more flexibility and efficiency to the parties. On the other hand, there are concerns about the validity and fairness of online arbitral awards due to its innovative feature of arbitration rules. By studying the available online arbitration institutional rules, the author intends to find out how to weigh the balance between efficiency and fairness in online arbitration.