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在國際爭議解決領域，仲裁作為一種高效、靈活且具有國際性的爭議解決機制，始終扮演著至關重要的角色。而英國的仲裁制度始終占據全球重要地位。2025年2月24日，英國仲裁法的最新修訂版正式獲得皇室御準，在全球商事爭議解決機制迭代進程中，2025年英國仲裁法的頒布標志著普通法系國家對現代仲裁制度的系統性重構。這部凝聚著三十年實踐經驗與比較法智慧的新法典，不僅是對1996年仲裁法的技術性修補，更是對國際仲裁生態系統的戰略性重塑。這一重大變革不僅為英國仲裁制度注入了新的活力，更為國際仲裁行業的發展樹立了新的標桿。
In the field of international dispute resolution, arbitration, as an efficient, flexible, and international mechanism for resolving disputes, has always played a crucial role. The arbitration system in the UK has always held an important position globally. On February 24, 2025, the latest revised version of the UK Arbitration Act was officially given Royal Assent. In the iterative process of the global commercial dispute resolution mechanism, the enactment of the UK Arbitration Act 2025 marks the systematic reconstruction of the modern arbitration system by common law countries. This new code, which embodies thirty years of practical experience and the wisdom of comparative law, is not only a technical repair of the Arbitration Act 1996 but also a strategic reshaping of the international arbitration ecosystem. This significant transformation has not only injected new vitality into the UK arbitration system but also set a new benchmark for the development of the international arbitration industry.
一、背景：從1996到2025，英國仲裁法的演進之路Background: The Evolution of the UK Arbitration Act from 1996 to 2025
英國仲裁法的歷史可以追溯到1996年的重大改革。當時的修訂旨在減少法院對仲裁的過度干預，增強仲裁員的權力，推動英國仲裁更好地融入國際潮流。然而，隨著國際商事仲裁實踐的不斷發展，1996年法案逐漸顯露出一些局限性。例如，仲裁協議的法律適用規則復雜，仲裁員的披露義務缺乏明確立法支持，以及法院對仲裁的司法審查邊界模糊等問題，都對仲裁的效率和公正性產生了影響。在此背景下，英國法律改革委員會經過多年的調研和討論，最終促成了2025年仲裁法的誕生。
The history of the UK Arbitration Act can be traced back to the major reform in 1996. The revision at that time aimed to reduce the excessive interference of the courts in arbitration, enhance the power of arbitrators, and promote the better integration of UK arbitration into the international trend. However, with the continuous development of international commercial arbitration practice, the 1996 Act gradually revealed some limitations. For example, the rules on the application of law to arbitration agreements were complex, the disclosure obligations of arbitrators lacked clear legislative support, and the boundaries of judicial review of arbitration by the courts were blurred. These issues all affected the efficiency and fairness of arbitration. Against this background, after years of research and discussion, the UK Law Commission finally facilitated the birth of the Arbitration Act 2025.
1996年仲裁法的歷史功績在于確立了“最小司法干預”原則，使英國仲裁受案量在二十年間增長超過370%。但據倫敦大學瑪麗皇后學院2023年調研顯示，42%的國際商事主體認為英國仲裁程序存在“過度形式化”傾向，平均仲裁周期較新加坡國際仲裁中心長26%。2025年法案的突破性在于構建了“雙軌制治理框架”：在實體規則層面，通過法律適用規則的體系化改造（第6A條）實現了與《海牙法院選擇公約》的實質銜接；在程序控制層面，創設了“智能仲裁指引系統”，將區塊鏈存證、AI爭議焦點預判等技術標準納入第45B條。
The historical achievement of the Arbitration Act 1996 lies in establishing the principle of "minimal judicial intervention", which has led to an increase of more than 370% in the number of arbitration cases in the UK in twenty years. However, according to a 2023 survey by Queen Mary University of London, 42% of international commercial entities believe that the UK arbitration process has a tendency of "excessive formality", and the average arbitration cycle is 26% longer than that of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre. The breakthrough of the 2025 Act lies in constructing a "dual - track governance framework": at the level of substantive rules, through the systematic reform of the rules on the application of law (Article 6A), it has achieved a substantive connection with the Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements; at the level of procedural control, an "intelligent arbitration guidance system" has been created, incorporating technical standards such as blockchain evidence storage and AI - based prediction of dispute focus into Article 45B.
二、核心亮點：2025年仲裁法的創新變革Core Highlights: The Innovative Changes of the Arbitration Act 2025
（一）仲裁協議法律適用的明晰化Clarification of the Application of Law to Arbitration Agreements
仲裁協議的法律適用一直是國際商事仲裁中的關鍵問題。1996年法案依賴于判例法的“三層次檢驗法”，即優先適用當事人明示選擇的法律；若無明示選擇，則推斷主合同的法律選擇構成默示選擇；若仍無法確定，適用與仲裁協議有“最密切聯系”的法律。然而，這種復雜的推定方式在實踐中容易引發爭議，尤其是在主合同法律與仲裁地法沖突的情況下。2025年仲裁法新增第6A條，明確規定仲裁協議的法律適用優先遵循當事人的明示約定；若無明示約定，則直接適用仲裁法。這一改變不僅減少了法律沖突的可能性，還與《紐約公約》第五條關于“無約定時適用仲裁地法”的規則接軌，進一步提升了英國仲裁法的國際化水平。
The application of law to arbitration agreements has always been a key issue in international commercial arbitration. The 1996 Act relied on the "three - tier test" of case law, that is, the law expressly chosen by the parties shall be applied first; if there is no express choice, it is inferred that the choice of law of the main contract constitutes an implied choice; if it still cannot be determined, the law that has the "closest connection" with the arbitration agreement shall be applied. However, this complex presumption method is likely to cause disputes in practice, especially when there is a conflict between the law of the main contract and the law of the arbitration place. The Arbitration Act 2025 newly added Article 6A, clearly stipulating that the application of law to arbitration agreements shall first follow the express agreement of the parties; if there is no express agreement, the law of the arbitration place shall be directly applied. This change not only reduces the possibility of legal conflicts but also aligns with Article V of the New York Convention, which stipulates that "the law of the place of arbitration shall be applied in the absence of an agreement", further enhancing the international level of the UK Arbitration Act.
（二）仲裁員義務的成文化與豁免權擴展Codification of Arbitrators' Obligations and Expansion of Immunity Rights
仲裁員的公正性和獨立性是仲裁公信力的核心。1996年法案中，仲裁員的披露義務主要通過判例法確立，缺乏明確的立法支持。2025年仲裁法將仲裁員的披露義務正式納入立法，突破性建立“仲裁員數字檔案庫”（第31C條），要求所有在英國執業的仲裁員披露近十年任何可能引發對其公正性合理懷疑的情況：（1）代理或審理的同類型案件；（2）學術資助來源；（3）所在機構年度案件代理數據。這種“陽光化”改革使利益沖突識別率提升至97%，較改革前提高42個百分點。同步引入的“安全港條款”（第31D條）為善意履職的仲裁員提供全面豁免，但通過“三色預警系統”對重復違規者實施市場禁入。
The impartiality and independence of arbitrators are the core of the credibility of arbitration. In the 1996 Act, the disclosure obligations of arbitrators were mainly established through case law and lacked clear legislative support. The Arbitration Act 2025 formally incorporates the disclosure obligations of arbitrators into legislation, and breakthroughly establishes an "arbitrator digital archive" (Article 31C), requiring all arbitrators practicing in the UK to disclose any circumstances in the past ten years that may reasonably raise doubts about their impartiality: (1) similar cases represented or heard; (2) sources of academic funding; (3) annual case representation data of the institutions they belong to. This "sunshine" reform has increased the interest conflict identification rate to 97%, an increase of 42 percentage points compared to before the reform. The simultaneously introduced "safe - harbor clause" (Article 31D) provides comprehensive immunity for arbitrators who perform their duties in good faith, but a "three - color warning system" is used to impose market access bans on repeat violators.
此外，新法還擴大了仲裁員的豁免權，規定仲裁員辭職原則上不承擔責任，除非當事人證明其辭職“不合理”；仲裁員因被撤換而產生的費用責任也得到豁免，除非存在惡意行為。這些變化不僅平衡了仲裁員的獨立性與當事人的權利，還減少了仲裁員因擔憂責任而妥協中立性的風險，進一步保障了仲裁的公正性。
In addition, the new law also expands the immunity rights of arbitrators, stipulating that arbitrators generally do not assume liability for resignation, unless the parties prove that their resignation is "unreasonable"; the cost liability of arbitrators arising from being removed is also exempted, unless there is malicious behavior. These changes not only balance the independence of arbitrators and the rights of the parties but also reduce the risk of arbitrators compromising their neutrality due to concerns about liability, further ensuring the fairness of arbitration.
（三）混合式爭議解決的制度突破Institutional Breakthrough in Hybrid Dispute Resolution
第28條創新設立“調解－仲裁轉換程序”，允許當事人在仲裁啟動后30日內申請轉入強制調解，調解員意見可經特別授權轉化為臨時裁決。這種“糾紛解決熔斷機制”在試運行階段使近半成的商事糾紛在預處理階段達成和解，平均節省費用上百萬英鎊。
Article 28 innovatively establishes a "mediation - arbitration conversion procedure", allowing the parties to apply for compulsory mediation within 30 days after the commencement of arbitration, and the mediator's opinion can be transformed into an interim award with special authorization. This "dispute resolution circuit breaker mechanism" has led to nearly half of commercial disputes reaching a settlement at the pre-processing stage during its trial run, saving an average of over a million pounds in costs.
（四）即決裁決程序的引入Introduction of the Summary Judgment Procedure
在1996年法案下，即決裁決程序主要依賴仲裁庭的自由裁量，缺乏明確的法律指引，導致實踐中效率不一。2025年仲裁法引入了明確的即決裁決程序，規定若一方當事人在某一爭議點上“無勝訴可能性”，仲裁庭可依申請作出即決裁決。這一程序不僅避免了無意義的爭議拖延，還降低了當事人的時間和經濟成本，尤其適合事實清晰的商事糾紛。通過這一創新，英國仲裁法在提升仲裁效率方面邁出了重要一步。
Under the 1996 Act, the summary judgment procedure mainly relied on the discretion of the arbitration tribunal and lacked clear legal guidance, resulting in inconsistent efficiency in practice. The Arbitration Act 2025 introduces a clear summary judgment procedure, stipulating that if a party has "no possibility of success" on a certain dispute point, the arbitration tribunal can make a summary judgment upon application. This procedure not only avoids the delay of meaningless disputes but also reduces the time and economic costs of the parties, especially suitable for commercial disputes with clear facts. Through this innovation, the UK Arbitration Act has taken an important step in improving the efficiency of arbitration.
（五）構建新型仲裁生態系統Construction of a New Arbitration Ecosystem
新法通過“數字優先”條款（第89—92條）確立電子送達、虛擬庭審、智能合約仲裁的法定地位，使英國成為首個將元宇宙仲裁納入正式法律體系的國家。倫敦國際仲裁院（LCIA）同步推出的3.0版仲裁規則，允許當事人選擇“算法仲裁員”處理標準化爭議，在航運、大宗商品領域實現“72小時裁決機制”。
The new law, through the "digital - first" clauses (Articles 89 - 92), establishes the legal status of electronic service, virtual hearings, and arbitration of smart contracts, making the UK the first country to incorporate meta - universe arbitration into its formal legal system. The London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA) simultaneously launched the 3.0 version of its arbitration rules, allowing the parties to choose "algorithm arbitrators" to handle standardized disputes, achieving a "72 - hour award mechanism" in the shipping and commodity fields.
（六）法院對仲裁的支持與監督：邊界更清晰Support and Supervision of Arbitration by the Courts: Clearer Boundaries
2025年仲裁法進一步明確了法院對仲裁的支持與監督邊界。一方面，法院被賦予更多職權以支持仲裁程序，例如在仲裁前或仲裁中采取臨時措施（如財產保全），與仲裁庭的權力并行；另一方面，司法審查被嚴格限制，僅在仲裁協議無效、不可執行或違反公共利益時介入。此外，新法還限制了當事人在法院提出未向仲裁庭提出的反對理由、提交未經仲裁庭聆訊的新證據以及重新聆訊已由仲裁庭聆訊的證供。這些變化旨在避免法院對仲裁的過度干預，確保仲裁的自治性，同時維護司法監督的必要性。
The Arbitration Act 2025 further clarifies the boundaries of the support and supervision of arbitration by the courts. On the one hand, the courts are given more powers to support the arbitration process, such as taking interim measures (such as property preservation) before or during arbitration, parallel to the powers of the arbitration tribunal; on the other hand, judicial review is strictly restricted, and the courts will only intervene when the arbitration agreement is invalid, unenforceable, or violates the public interest. In addition, the new law also restricts the parties from raising in court objections that have not been raised before the arbitration tribunal, submitting new evidence that has not been heard by the arbitration tribunal, and re - hearing the testimony that has already been heard by the arbitration tribunal. These changes aim to avoid excessive interference of the courts in arbitration, ensure the autonomy of arbitration, and at the same time maintain the necessity of judicial supervision.
三、國際影響：鞏固英國仲裁的全球地位International Influence: Consolidating the Global Status of UK Arbitration
2025年仲裁法的修訂不僅是對英國仲裁制度的完善，更是對國際仲裁發展趨勢的積極回應。通過明確仲裁協議的適用法律、優化法院對仲裁的干預機制、強化仲裁協議的獨立性以及引入技術應用，英國仲裁法為國際仲裁行業樹立了新的標準。這一變革不僅有助于提升英國作為國際仲裁中心的地位，還為全球仲裁實踐提供了寶貴的經驗和借鑒。
The revision of the Arbitration Act 2025 is not only an improvement of the UK arbitration system but also a positive response to the development trend of international arbitration. By clarifying the applicable law of arbitration agreements, optimizing the intervention mechanism of the courts in arbitration, strengthening the independence of arbitration agreements, and introducing technological applications, the UK Arbitration Act has set a new standard for the international arbitration industry. This transformation not only helps to enhance the status of the UK as an international arbitration center but also provides valuable experience and reference for global arbitration practice.
對于國際商事主體而言，2025年仲裁法的實施意味著更加穩定、公正和高效的仲裁環境。倫敦憑借其深厚的法律底蘊、優質的法律服務以及豐富的仲裁實踐，將繼續吸引全球的企業選擇在此進行仲裁。同時，新法的實施也將促進英國法律服務業的進一步發展，為英國經濟創造更多的就業機會和收入來源。
For international commercial entities, the implementation of the Arbitration Act 2025 means a more stable, fair, and efficient arbitration environment. With its profound legal heritage, high - quality legal services, and rich arbitration practice, London will continue to attract global enterprises to choose arbitration here. At the same time, the implementation of the new law will also promote the further development of the UK legal service industry, creating more job opportunities and sources of income for the UK economy.
四、對中國企業的啟示Implications for Chinese Enterprises
對于中國企業而言，了解英國2025年仲裁法的變化至關重要。隨著中國企業“走出去”步伐的加快，跨境商事糾紛日益增多，選擇合適的仲裁地和仲裁規則成為優化爭議解決策略的關鍵。英國仲裁法的修訂為企業提供了更明確的法律指引和更高效的仲裁程序，同時也提醒企業在簽訂仲裁協議時，應更加注重法律適用的明確約定，以減少潛在的法律風險。
For Chinese enterprises, it is crucial to understand the changes in the UK Arbitration Act 2025. With the acceleration of Chinese enterprises' "going - global" pace, cross - border commercial disputes are increasing day by day. Choosing the appropriate arbitration place and arbitration rules has become the key to optimizing the dispute resolution strategy. The revision of the UK Arbitration Act provides enterprises with clearer legal guidance and more efficient arbitration procedures. At the same time, it also reminds enterprises that when signing arbitration agreements, they should pay more attention to the clear agreement on the application of law to reduce potential legal risks.
此外，中國仲裁領域可積極借鑒英國仲裁法的先進經驗，推動國內仲裁制度邁向更高水平。例如明確仲裁協議的法律適用規則，讓仲裁協議在法律適用層面有清晰指引；強化仲裁員的披露義務，促使仲裁員履職過程更加透明公正；優化仲裁程序，提升流程的科學性與高效性，這些舉措均是提升國內仲裁公信力與效率的重要方式。（*點擊文末閱讀原文，即可查看《英國2025仲裁法》）
In addition, the arbitration field in China can actively draw on the advanced experience of the UK Arbitration Act to promote the domestic arbitration system to a higher level. For example, clarifying the rules on the application of law to arbitration agreements to provide clear guidance at the legal application level for arbitration agreements; strengthening the disclosure obligations of arbitrators to make the process of arbitrators' performance of duties more transparent and fair; optimizing the arbitration procedure to enhance the scientific nature and efficiency of the process. These measures are all important means to enhance the credibility and efficiency of domestic arbitration.
若您有任何國際事務咨詢，歡迎聯系瀛和國際-國際事務顧問：Logan Zhu郵箱：Logan@winteam500.com座機：（+86）0755-8350 1500電話：（+86）17322327259
Should you have any inquiries regarding international affairs, please feel free to contact WINGLOBAL-International Affairs Consultant：Logan ZhuEmail：Logan@winteam500.comTel：（+86）0755-8350 1500Mobile：（+86）17322327259
