VELMA Law, Dar es Salaam Tanzanian Law Firm 1200 627
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VELMA Law, Dar es Salaam Tanzanian Law Firm 310 310

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The Tanzanian Parliament has enacted the new Arbitration Act 2020 which has been given Presidential assent and passed into law in February 2020 to replace the Arbitration Act 1931.

The Act provides for conduct relating to “domestic arbitration”, “international arbitration” and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards and related matters.

Key issues addressed in the Act include:

  1. Creation of the Tanzania Arbitration Centre which will be responsible for the conduct and management of arbitration as well as accreditation of arbitrators in Tanzania.
  2. Mandatory provisions that must be adhered to by the parties notwithstanding any agreement to the contrary.
  3. Facilitation of the use of arbitration to make it central to the dispute resolution mechanisms in Tanzania.
  4. Enforcement of both domestic and international arbitral awards and the prerequisites of enforcement.

The Act provides for matters which may lead to an arbitral award not to be recognised in Tanzania, including:

  1. Composition of the arbitral tribunal.
  2. Arbitral procedure not aligned with the parties’ agreement.
  3. Agreement not in accordance with the law of the jurisdiction where arbitration took place.
  4. Arbitral award not yet binding on the parties.
  5. Arbitral award has been set aside or suspended by a court of the state in which, or under the law of which, that arbitral award was made.
  6. Making of the arbitral award was induced or affected by fraud, bribery, corruption or undue influence.
  7. Information confidentiality provisions.
  8. Enforcement of the award would be contrary to the public policy of Mainland Tanzania.

Please contact us if you have any comments or questions.

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