THE ESTABLISHMENT OF ARBITRAL TRIBUNALS UNDER THE RULES OF THE PERMANENT ARBITRATION COURT AT THE CROATIAN CHAMBER OF ECONOMY AND SELECTED INTERNATIONAL ARBITRAL INSTITUTIONS

Arbitration is an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanism, frequently contracted in commercial relations for arbitrable disputes. Given its global dimension, international commercial arbitration is the predominant mechanism for resolving complex international commercial disputes. The paper aims to present arbitration's basic characteristics and analyse the establishment of arbitral tribunals through a comparative overview of selected arbitration rules. The study employs a comparative analysis focusing on the rules of the Permanent Arbitration Court at the Croatian Chamber of Economy (PAC CCE) (Zagreb Rules 2015) and the rules of selected international institutions (ICC, SCC, LCIA, VIAC). The analysis also incorporates PAC CCE tribunal establishment data from 2015 to 2024. The results show that, despite the fundamental principle of party autonomy, institutions differ on criteria for determining the number of arbitrators (quantitative vs. general criteria). PAC CCE data indicates that 134 sole-arbitrator tribunals and 111 three-member tribunals were constituted, predominantly composed of legal professionals, particularly judges and members of the academic community. The establishment of a properly constituted tribunal is a crucial procedural step, driven by the institutions' commitment to improving their respective rules and procedures.