Originally from ADR and the Law - 21st Edition

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In recent years, Singapore has become one of the leading arbitral jurisdictions in Asia. In 1991, when the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) was established, it handled only two arbitrations.  In recent years, the Centre has been administering approximately 80 arbitrations each year.  Significantly, over half of these have been “international” arbitrations.  Consistent with this trend, Singapore has grown to be the most popular seat for International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) arbitrations in Asia.  In total, after factoring in both SIAC and non-SIAC cases, one estimate has placed the total number of arbitrations in Singapore in recent years at close to 300 cases each year. 
Consistent with this growth, the Singapore courts have dealt with increasingly novel arbitration-related applications. This article considers five court cases from 2004, focusing on applications relating to international arbitrations.  These cases reaffirm the Singapore courts’ commitment to maintaining the best international arbitral practice, with judicious court intervention where necessary.