INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC ARBITRATION IN SWITZERLAND

Contents XV § 10 Constitution of the arbitral tribunal ....................................................................286 I. Qualifications for the mandate of arbitrator..............................................286 1. Qualifications agreed between the parties ..........................................287 2. Independence and impartiality............................................................288 a. Introduction ..................................................................................288 b. Standards applicable in Switzerland.............................................290 c. No lesser standards for party-appointed arbitrators ......................292 d. Consequences of participating in settlement discussions .............293 e. Consequences of procedural failures ............................................294 II. Appointment of arbitrators........................................................................294 1. Appointment by the parties.................................................................294 a. Designation by function ...............................................................295 b. Number of arbitrators ...................................................................295 c. Panel of three arbitrators ..............................................................296 d. Sole arbitrator...............................................................................296 e. Reference to arbitration rules .......................................................297 f. Right to parity ..............................................................................297 2. Appointment by a designated appointing authority ............................298 a. Private authority ...........................................................................298 b. Public authority ............................................................................299 3. Appointment by the juge d’appui .......................................................300 a. Absence of an agreement .............................................................300 b. Jurisdiction ...................................................................................302 i. Seat determined by the parties ..............................................302 ii. Absence of a seat agreement.................................................303 c. Applicable law .............................................................................304 d. Principles of appointment.............................................................305 e. Summary examination of the arbitration agreement.....................306 4. Appointment in multi-party proceedings ............................................307 III. Judicial review of decisions on appointment ............................................310 1. Decision of a state court appointing an arbitrator ...............................310 2. Decision of a state court refusing the appointment.............................312 3. Decision of an institution or another private authority .......................312 § 11 Challenge of arbitrators......................................................................................314 I. Grounds for challenge...............................................................................314 1. Non-compliance with agreed qualifications .......................................314 2. Justifiable doubts as to independence and impartiality.......................316 II. Challenging the arbitral tribunal in its entirety .........................................318 III. Right to challenge .....................................................................................319 1. Introduction ........................................................................................319 2. Duty of the parties to act in good faith ...............................................320