Challenges such as ongoing conflicts, tariffs and sanctions can disrupt maritime trade and transport. Arbitration is well-suited to resolving complex international maritime disputes, which usually involve multiple jurisdictions. Parties have the option to appoint arbitrators with experience in the industry, while flexible arbitral procedures and enhanced enforcement prospects, via the New York Convention, often make arbitration an attractive option for maritime dispute resolution compared to court proceedings. 

This Diploma is delivered by experienced practitioners in the field. You will gain knowledge of the procedural elements of an international maritime arbitration, as practiced in the most commonly used maritime centres, using legislation based on the English Arbitration Act 1996 and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law, together with the London Maritime Arbitrators’ Association (LMAA) Terms, the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules and other maritime arbitration rules. 

You will also learn how to analyse submissions, arrive at a conclusion and write a final, reasoned and enforceable arbitration award in compliance with the Arbitration Act 1996 and maritime arbitration rules. 

Once you have successfully completed the course and all assessments, you can apply to become a Ciarb Fellow (FCIArb), which means you join a distinguished group of experienced alternative dispute resolution (ADR) practitioners and makes you eligible to join Ciarb’s and other global panels.

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Download the Diploma in International Maritime Arbitration (Virtual) brochure for more information.

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For more detailed information, see the FAQs. 

George Lambrou

George is an international dispute resolution specialist who resolves high-value and complex multijurisdictional disputes. He is a Solicitor Advocate (England & Wales) who spends most of his time involved in arbitration and as a negotiator and overall problem solver. Throughout his career, George has advised and acted for (and against) governments, commercial entities and individuals from a wide range of countries.

George has extensive English High Court experience as well as international arbitration experience with the ICC, LCIA, LMAA, SCC, and ICSID where he regularly sits as arbitrator. He also has a strong maritime background, having been a partner for many years in a leading London-based shipping law firm. He is currently Director of the CIARB Maritime Arbitration Diploma.

George is fluent in Russian and Greek.

Part 1

Candidates must take a law, practice and procedure of international maritime arbitration assessment.

This assessment is completed via LearnADR, Ciarb’s online learning platform. Candidates will be given 48 consecutive hours within a 5-day window to submit their answers online. Candidates must achieve a minimum overall mark of 65% to pass the assessment. Candidates who fail any assessment will be required to retake them as per the Candidates Regulations.

The assessment will be split into 2 parts:

Part One
Is a compulsory case study exercise with a number of questions that candidates will be required to answer worth 40 marks.

Part Two
Consists of five questions, candidates are required to select and answer three questions worth 60 marks.

Part 2

Candidates that hold a recognized Law Degree are eligible for the exemption test. This is done via the LearnADR platform on the common law and civil law of contract and tort sent out to candidates after successfully completing the Part 1 assessment. 30 questions will need to be answered within 90 minutes, with a pass mark of +70%.

Existing Fellows of the Ciarb are exempt from having to complete Part 2.

Part 3

The award writing exam will assess your ability, in the context of an ad hoc arbitration, to write an award as a sole arbitrator that withstands scrutiny under the NYC Model Law and UNCITRAL procedural rules. The award will be assessed on:

Technical merit: The drafting of the formalities and the operative award is technically accurate, comprehensive, and comprehensible.

• Comprehensive: includes a Header; names the Award, identifies the Parties, the Arbitrator and Counsel, an Introduction; the Facts of the Case; the Arbitration Agreement; the Applicable Laws and Rules to the Procedure and Substance; the Procedure for appointing the arbitrator; the Procedural History; the Jurisdiction; the Reasoning and Issues in Dispute; Pre and Post Award Interest; Costs; Dispositive, Place, Date and Signature.

• Accurate: The above details are complete and accurate including the Tribunal’s Jurisdiction and Governing Parameters, and that the Procedural History demonstrates due process and that all parties had full opportunity to present their cases.

• Comprehensible: Language, formatting and numbering do not fundamentally obscure the meaning through incoherence, or ambiguity.

Juridical Merit: All the discrete Issues in the Dispute are identified, analysed with an appropriate level of factual and legal rigour, and effectively addressed. The findings are logically and unambiguously summarised as an enforceable Award.

• The Factual and Legal Analysis: For each issue the Facts and Law are identified; the Application of the Law to the Facts is explained; a Conclusion on the resulting liability and quantum is clearly articulated. Each Issue is effectively addressed, whether Interlocutory/Preliminary, Substantive, or Evidential.

• Due Process: The Procedural History is comprehensive from the Notice of Arbitration to the Award. It includes representation and witnesses; demonstrates due process and that all parties had full opportunity to present their case; it leaves nothing unfinished.

• Costs and Interest: The award consolidates the findings on Costs and Interest comprehensively and coherently, taking account of compliance and sequencing. It includes the arbitrator’s fee, the hearing costs, procedural costs and the parties’ costs, and other costs.

• Scrutiny: The award is drafted to the standards required by the NYC and UNCITRAL Law, contains the necessary facts to counter grounds for vacatur and addresses scrutiny points including defective arbitration agreements, denial of procedural fairness, improper tribunal composition and/or procedure, excess of jurisdiction.

This assessment is completed via LearnADR, Ciarb’s online learning platform. Candidates will be given 48 consecutive hours within a 5-day window to submit their award online. Candidates must achieve 70% in Part A, Part B and overall to pass the assessment.

Part A: Focuses on the technical merit and counts as 40% towards the overall mark.

Part B: Focuses on the judicial merit and counts as 60% towards the overall mark.

The assessment is split into two stages:

Stage One: This consists of the papers in the case. They are sufficient to enable you to grasp the nature of the case and the likely legal problems. Most of the documents are extracts only. You should consider the recitals you intend to include and the relevant law.

Stage Two: This is the equivalent of the hearing stage. It includes an extract from your (i.e. the arbitrator’s) notebook. This records the oral evidence and arguments the arbitrator has heard, as well as any other relevant documents. From the evidence you must make your findings of fact. Different candidates will no doubt make different findings. This is of no consequence, except that it means there are a great many possible answers to the question. When you have made your findings of fact, write the award. It must be a final award as regards the issues you decide.

Stage One of the assessment is released via LearnADR 10 days before the assessment start date.

Stage Two is released at 12pm noon London Time on the assessment start date via LearnADR too.

Stage 2 will be available for 5 days from the assessment start date and within those 5 days, you will have 48 consecutive hours to submit your award back onto LearnADR.

Results are dispatched to candidates normally twelve weeks from the deadline date of the submission. Candidates will be informed of any delays.

This Diploma is suitable for individuals who are actively involved in or have experience of domestic or international arbitration, or who have at least five years’ experience in a related profession. Candidates must also have a high standard of English. For more details about application criteria, download the brochure.

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To apply for this Diploma, share your up-to-date CV with us and we’ll get back to you.

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