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.
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