The Gujarat High Court has called for increased appointment of women and technical experts as arbitrators, noting that only 29.97% of arbitrators appointed in recent cases were women.
The Gujarat High Court has issued directions urging parties, legal counsel, and arbitration institutions to ensure greater inclusion of women and technical experts in the appointment of arbitrators. The court observed that in a review of arbitrator appointments, only 29.97% were women, highlighting a significant gender imbalance in arbitration panels.
While delivering an order, the bench emphasized that diversity in arbitration enhances institutional credibility and ensures balanced decision-making. The court recommended that institutional arbitral rules be amended to encourage nominations of qualified women professionals and sector-specific experts, particularly in technical disputes involving engineering, taxation, or financial matters.
For practitioners, this represents a shift toward inclusive arbitration practices. Law firms and corporate legal departments are advised to consider diverse panels when nominating arbitrators, aligning with evolving judicial expectations on equality and expertise in alternative dispute resolution.
