Page:Arbitration Act 2001.pdf/40

40 :(a) no objection shall be taken to the appointment of such person as an arbitrator, or to his conduct of the arbitral proceedings, solely on the ground that he had acted previously as a mediator in connection with some or all of the matters referred to arbitration; and
 * (b) if such person declines to act as an arbitrator, any other person appointed as an arbitrator shall not be required first to act as a mediator unless a contrary intention appears in the arbitration agreement.

(4) Unless a contrary intention appears therein, an agreement which provides for the appointment of a mediator shall be deemed to contain a provision that in the event of the mediation proceedings failing to produce a settlement acceptable to the parties within 4 months, or such longer period as the parties may agree to, of the date of the appointment of the mediator or, where he is appointed by name in the agreement, of the receipt by him of written notification of the existence of a dispute, the mediation proceedings shall thereupon terminate.

Power of arbitrator to act as mediator

63.—(1) If all parties to any arbitral proceedings consent in writing and for so long as no party has withdrawn his consent in writing, an arbitrator may act as a mediator.

(2) An arbitrator acting as a mediator—
 * (a) may communicate with the parties to the arbitral proceedings collectively or separately; and
 * (b) shall treat information obtained by him from a party to the arbitration proceedings as confidential, unless that party otherwise agrees or unless subsection (3) applies.

(3) Where confidential information is obtained by an arbitrator from a party to the arbitration proceedings during mediation proceedings and those proceedings terminate without the parties reaching agreement in settlement of their dispute, the arbitrator shall before resuming the arbitration proceedings disclose to all other parties to the arbitration proceedings as much of that information as he considers material to the arbitration proceedings.

(4) No objection shall be taken to the conduct of arbitration proceedings by a person solely on the ground that that person ha acted previously as a mediator in accordance with this section.