Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

For all the time and effort spent in the arbitration process, too often awards are poorly written and fail to clearly and effectively communicate the arbitrator's decision. The author discoursed on this subject last June at the annual meeting of the Arbitration and Mediation Institute of Canada in Calgary. Not intended as a strict rulebook on decision writing, his suggestions are offered as a guide to free decision-writers from preconceived notions so they may write clear, interesting awards in language that is accessible to the reader.