Vol. 1 No. 4 (2021): Swiss Chinese Law Review

Alternative dispute resolution has been shaking up the legal world during the pandemic. Proponents say it has enormous potential to grant access to justice for good value, taking pressure off courts and saving clients hefty litigation bills. Sceptics might warn that this movement threatens statutory law by silently privatising the judiciary and will, by extension, make work for professionals more casual and precarious. But does alternative dispute resolution have a scorecard? What has been, and will be, the effects of this growing sector?

The fourth issue of the Swiss Chinese Law Review discusses not only the pros versus the cons of ADR, but what its concrete effects have been. How have cases been resolved? What has the international legal sector learnt during the past few years? What problems remain with regard to enforcement? What have been ARD’s unintended secondary benefits or drawbacks? Does ADR offer new and old law firms dazzling opportunities or is it a threat to established business models?