Online Arbitration and its Applications in the Context of Online Dispute Resolutions in the World and Our Country
Seda ÖzmumcuThis article examines online arbitration within the context of online dispute resolution, which began with the advent of the internet during the 1990s and has become efficient over time. Contemporarily, fast-evolving technology has engendered a new perspective to dispute resolution. This new approach has altered the traditional understanding of dispute resolution from classical methods such as face-to-face hearings or sessions to using the internet, while causing a shift from the real world to the cyberspace. Alternative dispute resolution methods such as arbitration and mediation are conducted by various institutions across countries around the world. Some of these institutions expanded their application to include the scope of online dispute resolution after 2010. More specifically, arbitration institutions in some countries introduced regulations regarding online arbitration in 2015. They did so with the aim of having online arbitration within the scope of online dispute resolution in cyberspace using the Internet. This study shares examples from online arbitration applications of various institutions around the world. The Istanbul Arbitration Center was founded under the Law on Istanbul Arbitration Center numbered 6570, with the aim of resolution of disputes by alternative methods in Turkey. This is a nascent and the first institution to provide such service in Istanbul. These significant measures engendered by recent technologies on dispute resolution have gained a completely different importance with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Access to justice and the right to legal remedies have moved to online platforms at specific rates. Within this scope, the Istanbul Arbitration Center has recently published the Procedures and Principles for Online Hearings. Speed, efficiency, and resolution of disputes with lower costs constitute the positive aspects of online arbitration, which are also characterized by few negative aspects. Undoubtedly, technical problems relating to internet access, which are more technology-based, can be resolved faster due to constant developments in the technological field during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the actual problem relates to ensuring fair and righteous decisions while enabling justice and the right to a fair trial in an online arbitration area. This article aims to reconsider those issues along with the challenges engendered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dünyada ve Ülkemizde Online Uyuşmazlık Çözümleri Bağlamında Online Tahkim ve Uygulamaları
Seda ÖzmumcuBu makale, dünyada 1990’lı yıllardan itibaren internetin icadı ile başlayan ve yakın zamanlarda giderek daha da etkin hale gelen online uyuşmazlık çözümleri bağlamında online tahkim ile ilgilidir. Günümüzde büyük bir hızla gelişen teknoloji, beraberinde uyuşmazlık çözümlerine farklı ve yeni bir bakış açısı getirmektedir. Bu yeni yaklaşım, uyuşmazlıkların çözümünün klasik yöntemlerle yüz yüze duruşma veya oturumlar şeklinde yapılması gibi geleneksel anlayışı değiştirerek, gerçek dünyayı internet üzerinden siber ortama taşımayı öngörmektedir. Dünyada tahkim ve arabuluculuk gibi alternatif uyuşmazlık çözümleri, çeşitli ülkelerde kurumsal olarak muhtelif kuruluşlar tarafından gerçekleştirilmektedir. Bu kuruluşların bir bölümü, 2010 yılından itibaren uygulamalarını online uyuşmazlık çözümleri kapsamında da genişletmiş bulunmaktadır. Özellikle 2015 yılından itibaren bazı ülkelerdeki tahkim kurumlarının, online uyuşmazlık çözümleri bağlamında offline tahkimi, internet üzerinden siber ortamda gerçekleştirmek amacıyla, kendi bünyelerinde online tahkim kurallarını düzenledikleri görülmektedir. Çalışmamızda bu konu ile ilgili dünyadaki çeşitli kurumların online tahkim uygulamalarından örneklere yer verilmektedir. Ülkemizde ise, 6570 sayılı İstanbul Tahkim Merkezi Kanunu ile uyuşmazlıkların alternatif yollarla çözümü amacıyla kurulan İstanbul Tahkim Merkezi, bu alanda hizmet veren ilk ve aynı zamanda genç bir kurumdur. Günümüz teknolojilerinin uyuşmazlık çözümü üzerine getirdiği bu önemli etkiler, COVID-19 salgını ile bambaşka bir görünüm kazanmıştır. Adalete erişim ve hak arama özgürlüğü belirli ölçülerde online ortama taşınmaya başlamıştır. Bu bağlamda İstanbul Tahkim Merkezi’de internet ortamında online yapılacak duruşmalara ait kural ve esaslarını yakın bir zamanda yayınlamıştır. Online uyuşmazlık çözümleri kapsamında, online tahkim açısından hızlılık, etkililik ve az masrafla uyuşmazlıkların çözümü, bu sürecin olumlu yönlerini meydana getirmekle birlikte, online ortamda gerçekleştirilen tahkim yargılamasının bazı olumsuz yönleri de bulunmaktadır. Hiç şüphesiz internete erişim bakımından ortaya çıkabilecek teknoloji tabanlı teknik sorunlar; COVID-19 salgını ile daha da hızlanan teknolojik gelişmeler aracılığı ile süratle çözümlenebilecektir. Fakat asıl sorun, internete erişimden daha da öte adalete erişim noktasında adil yargılanma, hukuki dinlenilme hakkı gibi yargılamanın temel ilkelerinin online tahkim ortamında da gerçekleştirilmesini sağlamak, adil ve adaletli kararlar verilmesini yerine getirmektir. Makalemiz, COVID-19 ile birlikte bu konular üzerinde yeniden düşünmeyi hedeflemektedir.
Online dispute resolution has evolved over the years, especially rapidly after the 1990s, with the advent of the internet. Among the dispute resolution methods facilitated in the cyberspace using the internet, online arbitration procedures can also be included. Online arbitration is used by various institutions that resolve disputes through institutional arbitration and mediation methods in many countries around the world, such as the USA, UK, Canada, China, Japan, Australia, and Russia.
This is done especially for international commercial arbitration since parties to the dispute are located in different and distant geographical areas. Thus, the use of online arbitration within the scope of online dispute resolution is becoming mandatory. Parties are gravitating to this type of arbitration relative to state courts due to positive aspects such as saving time, low costs, and confidentiality in terms of safeguarding the business life.
With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, this process has started to move beyond the traditional methods of arbitration. This situation has also engendered institutions that perform arbitration and mediation to start initiatives to develop online arbitration procedures. This study aims to provide examples from across the world, in general, and Turkey, in particular, from the institutions that have started to provide alternative dispute resolution methods in the form of online platforms. In this context, online arbitration serves as an important choice to the parties of a dispute in terms of “access to justice” in a world struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Along with its positive aspects, the method carries some negative features. Thus, while preparing this study, we have observed some concerns regarding online dispute resolution using the internet in academic publications that we analyzed. Those concerns are not merely limited to technical malfunctions happening in electronic platforms. In the 21st century, where there is fast developing technology, progress in resolving technology-based problems may be achieved more quickly.
However, the problem is not solely related to this issue. Online dispute resolution includes not only easier access to justice but also the rendering of fair and righteous decisions. Basic principles of judgment such as the right to a fair trial and the right to be heard are much more important in resolving disputes through online arbitration. Online arbitration differentiates from online mediation in specific characteristics. In mediation, the mediator who is authorized to resolve the dispute among the parties is only authorized to resolve the specific conflict. Therefore, since mediation cannot be considered a judicial activity, the mediator does not effectively render a decision. The function of the mediator extends only insofar as to resolve the conflict that underlies the actual dispute of parties. For sure, there are ethical principles that the mediator must abide by. However, the mediator is not conducting a judicial activity.
In contrast, arbitration can be executed as binding or non-binding arbitration around the world. Arbitration is binding and an arbitrator or an arbitral tribunal renders an award as a result of adjudication. Thus, an award rendered in arbitration should be binding similar to how a decision rendered by state courts are also binding. Moreover, if the conditions are met, then the parties can apply for legal remedies in order to annul the award. At this very point, abiding by the basic principles such as the right to a fair trial and the right to be heard is becoming more important in this virtual reality.
Online arbitration within the scope of online dispute resolution should be seen as a natural extension to the fast-developing technology in this digital age. Our world is reshaping against the backdrop of the contemporary situation. Despite the fact that the resolution of disputes through online arbitration is gaining popularity owing to fast-developing technology, traditional methods will still continue to hold their place and may still be relatively efficient. As such, it should not be forgotten that justice should never be compromised against speed no matter the distance, low costs, and efficiency engendered by online arbitration within the scope of online dispute resolution.
