Arbitration is an increasingly popular means for resolving business disputes, especially across borders. It’s also being practised and studied by more Canadians than ever. To keep them on top of the latest developments, such as the Supreme Court of Canada’s much-anticipated upcoming decision in Uber Technologies v Heller, Queen’s Law has partnered with Juris Publishing and a group of senior Canadian academics and practitioners to produce a new journal.

Associate Dean Joshua Karton is Managing Editor of the Canadian Journal of Commercial Arbitration (CJCA), which will launch with a webinar this Thursday, June 25. “Our goal is for this journal to become not only a useful source of information for arbitration practitioners and scholars in Canada – and those elsewhere with an interest in Canadian arbitration – but also a focal point of our vibrant and growing professional community,” he says. “Each issue of CJCA will contain both ‘news they can use’ in their next counsel engagement or arbitral appointment and broader thematic or theoretical discussions that explore international arbitration law and practice in thought-provoking ways.”

Making that happen, along with Karton, are Executive Editors Gerald Ghikas QC, Professor Janet Walker (Osgoode) and the Honourable Barry Leon, and Professor Anthony Daimsis (Ottawa) as Case Comments and Developments Editor. Supporting their work is a team of student editors from Queen’s Law. 

“It’s a great opportunity for our students to gain experience (and develop connections) in a rapidly growing field that is newly prominent in Canada,” says Karton. “Student editors also provide the hands-on-deck necessary to put out a first-class journal and receive course credit for their work.” 

Launching CJCA amid a global pandemic is, to the editorial team, “an expression of confidence: that arbitration practitioners are eager to engage in this new forum to exchange views, and that they will adopt CJCA as a platform to share ideas that will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of arbitral justice, in Canada and around the world.”

CJCA boasts an Editorial Advisory Board composed of many of the “who’s who” among Canadians involved in arbitration in Canada and worldwide. They include such leading arbitrators as the Honorable L. Yves Fortier, Henri Alvarez, and Louise Barrington, as well as the Right Honourable Beverly McLachlin, retired Chief Justice of Canada and now active as an arbitrator. 

CJCA will use innovative means to introduce its content to arbitration practitioners and scholars around the world and to initiate conversations about the main topics of each issue. Its website includes a blog (accessible for free), and the journal will also organize events such as webinars and live and virtual conferences. 

The first issue, dedicated to the theme of “Canada within the world of international arbitration,” is available for free download on the CJCA website. 

Content from this issue will be highlighted in a free webinar, “Major Milestones in Canadian Arbitration Law,” to celebrate the launch of CJCA on June 25 from 1:30 – 2:30 pm EDT. Karton will moderate the discussion and his faculty colleague, Professor Alyssa King is a speaker. The full webinar program and a link to register are available on the CJCA website.