Commentary on Sections Introductory Section 3 – Seat of arbitration
23.As noted at paragraph 8 above, the seat of an arbitration is the country in which an arbitration is based from which the legal system which ultimately governs the arbitration is drawn. It may affect the procedures to be adopted in the arbitration, for instance for an arbitration seated in Scotland under the Act the mandatory Scottish Arbitration Rules will apply. The Act provides that the seat may be designated by the parties, an institution or individual where authorised explicitly by the parties or by the arbitral tribunal. The seat of the arbitration may also be determined, for instance, by the courts according to the rules of private international law.
24.Choosing to arbitrate in Scotland in accordance with the Act does not affect the substantive law used to decide the dispute itself, for instance it does not mean that it must be determined in accordance with Scots law.