NT chief justice Michael Grant AO spearheaded the initiative
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Ciarb) Australia has launched in NT, bolstering access to arbitration and dispute resolution in the state.
“This is a significant step in making arbitration more accessible to Territorians and in bringing the Territory in line with the national and international arbitration and alternative dispute resolution communities”, said NT chief justice Michael Grant AO, who spearheaded the initiative. “It is welcomed by the Supreme Court, because arbitration has the benefits of relieving pressure on the courts, reducing costs for the parties and finalising disputes more quickly”.
NT attorney general Marie-Clare Boothby added that arbitration was “an important part of a modern justice system”. NT Bar Association vice president Dr Cameron Ford OAM SC said Ciarb’s training and support in arbitration would be “invaluable”.
“This will strengthen the Territory’s capacity to resolve matters quickly and fairly, giving greater certainty to business and industry”, Boothby said.
Ciarb Australia’s NT branch was officially launched at the William Forster chambers in Darwin on 14 August. The event was attended by former Ciarb global president Professor Doug Jones AO and Professor Janet Walker CM, CanArbWeek’s founding chair.
“Our presence in the ‘Top End’ is to address the growing demand for arbitration (both domestic and international) through promotion, training and accreditation that carry globally recognised qualifications”, Ciarb Australia president Geoff Farnsworth said. “That we will be based in Darwin, Australia’s most northern port capital city and the hub of a thriving economy on the door-step of the most dynamic region on the planet means there will be opportunities for practitioners to be qualified and meet the demand for arbitrating disputes in a wide range of sectors including major infrastructure and construction, transport, energy and resources, maritime, sport, finance, IT, tourism, the arts, media and government schemes”.
