LEBANON Law and Practice Contributed by: Nayla Comair-Obeid, Ziad Obeid and Zeina Obeid, Obeid & Partners
11.3 Interest Awarded on Costs This is not applicable in this jurisdiction.
ties to reach an agreement before commencing the proceedings. 12.2 ADR Within the Legal System As set out in 12.1 Views of ADR Within the Country , the legal system in Lebanon favours recourse to ADR, notably arbitration and media- tion. Although ADR is not compulsory and does not form part of court procedures, the LCCP pro- motes conciliation as inherent to the judge’s duties (Article 375 of the LCCP). However, con- ciliation initiated by the judge during the court proceedings is not mandatory and there are no sanctions for refusing to engage in it. 12.3 ADR Institutions The main institutions offering and promoting ADR are the following. • The Lebanese Arbitration and Mediation Centre (LAMC) of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, founded in 1995, which has its own Arbitration Rules and Mediation Rules (recently amended and entered into force on 1 July 2024). The LAMC covers training and accreditation of mediators and arbitrators and offers various facilities for the conduct of mediation and arbitration sessions. • The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) Lebanon Branch, which principally serves as a forum for education and training in ADR and may sometimes act as an appointing author- ity. • The Lebanese and International Arbitration Centre of the Beirut Bar Association (LIAC- BBA). The Beirut Bar Association has estab- lished an independent centre for arbitration in order to provide services for domestic and international arbitration. This centre has
12. Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) 12.1 Views of ADR Within the Country The legal landscape in Lebanon is evolving positively towards encouraging recourse to arbitration and other ADR mechanisms. ADR is well received in Lebanon, with arbitration, con- ciliation and mediation being the most common method. Arbitration Lebanon is an arbitration-friendly jurisdiction. Its arbitration legislation is modern, based on French arbitration law, and embraces well- established principles of international arbitration. The Lebanese courts are also familiar with and supportive of the laws and practices of interna- tional arbitration. Mediation Judicial mediation is another method that has been favoured recently through the enactment of Law 82, which entered into force on 18 Octo- ber 2018. In addition, the Lebanese Parliament enacted Law No 286/2022 in April 2022 spe- cifically addressing Conventional Mediation. This law was intended to complement the legal framework of mediation in Lebanon. That said, professionals remain cautious about utilising this method of dispute resolution, primarily due to the absence of implementing regulations issued by the Ministry of Justice. With regard to conciliation, although it is not a regulated field, the LCCP empowers and encour- ages the judge in every dispute to urge the par-
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