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NLJ this week: Malaysia’s arbitration overhaul

14 November 2025
Issue: 8139 / Categories: Legal News , Arbitration , ADR , International , Dispute resolution
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The Asian International Arbitration Centre’s sweeping reforms through its AIAC Suite of Rules 2026, unveiled at Asia ADR Week, are under examination in this week's NLJ by John (Ching Jack) Choi of Gresham Legal

Coming into force on 1 January 2026, the new suite unifies six frameworks—arbitration, Islamic arbitration, mediation, sports, adjudication, and domain name disputes.

The 2026 rules embed transparency by mandating disclosure of third-party funders, formalise the new AIAC Court of Arbitration, and expand eligibility for fast-track proceedings to disputes under US$3m. They also introduce mandatory technical reviews of draft awards and encourage diversity in arbitrator appointments.

Choi notes that these changes reflect Malaysia’s bid to modernise its dispute resolution landscape, aligning it with global arbitral practices and boosting investor confidence through procedural clarity, speed, and accountability.

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Pillsbury—Peter O’Hare

Pillsbury—Peter O’Hare

Partner hire bolstersprivate capital and global aviation finance offering

Morae—Carla Mendy

Morae—Carla Mendy

Digital and business solutions firm appoints chief operating officer

Twenty Essex—Clementine Makower & Stephen Du

Twenty Essex—Clementine Makower & Stephen Du

Set welcomes two experienced juniors as new tenants

NEWS
The High Court’s decision in Mazur v Charles Russell Speechlys has thrown the careers of experienced CILEX litigators into jeopardy, warns Fred Philpott of Gough Square Chambers in NLJ this week
Sir Brian Leveson’s claim that there is ‘no right to jury trial’ erects a constitutional straw man, argues Professor Graham Zellick KC in NLJ this week. He argues that Leveson dismantles a position almost no-one truly holds, and thereby obscures the deeper issue: the jury’s place within the UK’s constitutional tradition
Why have private prosecutions surged despite limited data? Niall Hearty of Rahman Ravelli explores their rise in this week's NLJ 
The public law team at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer surveys significant recent human rights and judicial review rulings in this week's NLJ
In this week's NLJ, Mary Young of Kingsley Napley examines how debarring orders, while attractive to claimants seeking swift resolution, can complicate trials—most notably in fraud cases requiring ‘particularly cogent’ proof
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