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The Grand old lady of Bloomsbury
still going
strong at 90!
On 1 March this year our Institute attained 90 years of age. As with others of her age, she has changed her appearance and her name often during this period.
She was born, with the aid of a couple of solicitors, an architect and an accountant, as an unincorporated association, on 1st March 1915. Within a year, she had attracted the following of sixteen different professions. At the age of 10 she lost her innocence and became an incorporated body, with licence to dispense with 'Ltd' from her name. On incorporation, her objects were extended and now included "to nominate Arbitrators on the application of parties having differences which they desire to have settled by Arbitration". In 1977 she petitioned the Queen and, in 1979, was incorporated by Royal Charter.
The major objective in 1915 was to raise the status of Arbitration to the dignity of a distinct and recognised position as one of the learned professions. I, for one, believe that this objective has been well and truly achieved and, being supplementary to a primary profession, gives the Chartered Institute a peculiar status on a higher level than almost all other professions.
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators has had a long and highly successful life so far and we must all congratulate those members who have given unstintingly of their time to achieve this position. I am not so sure whether, notwithstanding the huge success of schemes, she has really achieved the objective of being a nominating body, this function, of great interest to members, appearing to be of secondary importance to the Chartered Institute.
She is now entering a period that may prove to be the most difficult in her history, due largely to her own success. It has long been clear that, whatever the domestic problems of competing methods of dispute resolution, arbitration has great advantage in the settlement of commercial differences when different legal jurisdictions are involved. International expansion of the CIArb has led to substantial changes, which are still being introduced.
The CIArb is publishing a book to commemorate the 90th anniversary, which has been sponsored and will be at a reasonable price. See the Editorial of Arbitration of February 2005. We must all wish her well for the future and hope to see an even more healthy and vigorous old lady at 100.
Peter Horne