The versatile programme offered multidimensional impulses which ranged from law and economics to legal history, speech science, psychology, politics and rhetoric and were accompanied by lively discussions:
- Law and economics: Gerhard Wagner opened the conference day with a capturing lecture on an economic analysis of arbitration. In particular, he showed which factors determine the choice of dispute resolution mechanisms and thus provided crucial insights for promoting arbitration locations.
- Legal history: Wolfram Buchwitz impressively demonstrated how legal history can contribute to today's legal practice based on three specific examples. In doing so, he inter alia proposed ways to make arbitration proceedings more efficient by introducing binding decision periods and naming arbitrators in arbitration clauses.
- Speech science: Kati Hannken-Illjes illustrated the role and function of argumentation and narration in arbitration proceedings. She combined exciting insights into theories of speech science with practical advice on how the argumentative power of narration can be used successfully in arbitration proceedings.
- Psychology: Alica Mohnert sensitised the audience to systematic thinking errors and conveyed skills enhancing factually correct (legal) decision-making. In particular, she provided the audience with strategies to recognise and neutralise unconscious biases and other factors influencing our thinking and decision-making.
- Politics: Thorsten Lieb took the audience on a journey into politics. He presented an in-depth analysis of the challenges arbitration faces in the political debate and invited the present arbitration practitioners to contribute actively to same to ensure a fruitful exchange.
- Rhetoric: Jörg Risse rounded off the event with a multi-faceted lecture on rhetoric. In particular, he provided the participants with neurobiologically based recommendations on how to better exploit the potential of rhetoric in arbitration proceedings.
A detailed report of the conference was published on the Kluwer arbitration blog, available here.
Henriette Sigmund
