The Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) has introduced revised arbitration fee regulations that will take effect from 1 July 2025. The new framework features a unified fee structure for both domestic and international cases and includes a fee cap for disputes exceeding 3bn yuan. It also provides enhanced fee preferences for early settlements. Additional improvements in the regulations include the expansion of hourly billing options across all case types, as well as industry-specific fee reductions of 5% for disputes involving securities, futures, intellectual property, and maritime arbitrations. These changes are designed to increase fee transparency and reduce overall arbitration costs for the parties involved. The revised arbitration fee rules will apply to cases accepted by the SCIA from 1 July 2025 onwards, while cases accepted on or before 30 June 2025 will continue to be governed by the original rules.

The Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) has called for applications for its Panel of Arbitrators, which has been put in effect since 21 February 2022 and is due to expire on 20 February 2025. In accordance with the Ordinance on the Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration and the decisions of its Council, SCIA is updating the Panel of Arbitrators and accepting applications for arbitrator qualification from around the world.

The Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) has published its 2023 statistics. In 2023, the SCIA’s headquarters accepted 12,004 new commercial arbitration cases, with 414 being international commercial arbitration cases and 44 different countries and regions being involved in the 2023 cases.

The Shenzhen Court of International Arbitration (SCIA) has announced developments in its initiative to build an international maritime arbitration centre in cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao. According to a report published in Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, the Shenzhen Intermediate Maritime Arbitration Center accepted 165 maritime cases in 2024, a 50% increase from 2023, with a total disputed amount nearing ¥2bn. The centre currently includes 130 arbitrators from 23 jurisdictions and offers both institutional and ad hoc arbitration services. SCIA says it has introduced a ‘mediation + arbitration’ mechanism, reduced fees for eligible cases, and partnered with academic institutions to promote maritime legal education. The report notes that the centre also participates in major industry events and continues to develop its rules and procedures to support international maritime arbitration and cross-jurisdictional cooperation within the Greater Bay Area.

The South China (Hong Kong) Court of International Arbitration (SCIAHK) has announced its acceptance of its first arbitration case under the Supreme People’s Court (SPC) Reply effective from 14 February 2025. This new protocol enables Hong Kong-invested enterprises in the Greater Bay Area to choose Hong Kong as their arbitration seat, following the October 2024 CEPA amendment, which broadened cross-border dispute resolution options for Hong Kong-invested enterprises operating in mainland China.

The South China International Arbitration Center (Hong Kong) (SCIAHK) has announced new approved arbitration rules taking effect from 31 March 2025. The rules will apply to all cases accepted from that date forward, while cases accepted before 31 March 2025 will continue under the 2022 rules unless parties specifically agree to adopt the new rules.

The Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC) has issued an Act of Sederunt amending the Rules of the Court of Session 1994 and Ordinary Causes Rules 1993, following the UK's signing of the 2019 Hague Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments. The amendments remove the requirement for Bank of England currency conversion certificates, instead allowing parties to declare exchange rates themselves. The currency conversion changes take effect from 30 April 2025, while other amendments will commence when the Convention enters force for the UK. The changes implement the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments Regulations 2024, which incorporated the Convention into domestic law.

The Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC) has launched a call for evidence to review rules governing modes of attendance at court hearings. The Access to Justice Committee is examining the effectiveness of Chapter 12C of the Rules of the Court of Session and Chapter 4A of the Sheriff Court Ordinary Cause Rules, which were introduced by the Act of Sederunt (Rules of the Court of Session 1994 and Ordinary Cause Rules 1993 Amendment) (Attendance at Hearings) 2023 and came into force on 3 July 2023. The review seeks feedback on 11 areas including guidance clarity for in-person, virtual and hybrid hearings, the process for requesting attendance mode changes, the default virtual approach for procedural business, and the impact of virtual hearings on access to justice and open justice. The committee is also examining technical difficulties with the WebEx platform, the use of telephone attendance, and overall support for virtual versus in-person court business. The call for evidence runs from 29 September 2025 to 22 December 2025.

The Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC) has launched a call for evidence to inform development of opt-out group proceedings rules for the Court of Session. The call for evidence seeks to progress full implementation of Part 4 of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) Scotland Act 2018, potentially extending Chapter 26A of the Rules of the Court of Session beyond the current opt-in procedures introduced in 2020. Following the call for evidence, the SCJC intends to hold a public consultation on any proposed changes to the Rules of the Court of Session. The call for evidence will close on 23 January 2026.

Society of Construction Law

The Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) has published its 2025 year in review, reporting 83 case references with a total claim quantum of US$208.2m and an average claim value of approximately US$2.78m, representing year-on-year increases of 112% and 135% respectively. The report highlights expanded international outreach across key maritime hubs, including new memoranda of understanding with institutions in Tianjin, Dalian, Xiamen and Brunei, continued engagement with regional maritime and legal communities, plus progress across its methanol, ammonia and cybersecurity working groups. It also notes industry engagement through seminars, workshops and the biennial SCMA Conference, and confirms that Singapore will host the International Congress of Maritime Arbitrators (ICMA) XXIII from 22–27 March 2026.

The Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) has published its 2024 year review. The review reports a 112% increase in case references over the previous five-year average, with 95 cases totaling $97.9m in claims. The review outlines key institutional developments including the launch of the SCMA-Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) Maritime Mediator Panel, new memoranda of understanding with Shanghai institutions and the completion of the 4th Maritime Arbitrators' Accreditation Programme. SCMA has also announced the formation of three new councils to enhance member engagement and governance.