The Role of Courts in International Arbitration: A Critical Assessment on the Arbitration Draft Bill in Iran from the Perspective of Modern Arbitration Rules

The role of courts in international arbitration can scarcely be denied. Courts play a crucial role in different stages in international arbitration. Having said that, the extent of court's intervention in international arbitration has been subject to controversy. National arbitration laws have taken different views in this regard. In some countries, courts have a supportive role; however, others have interventionist approach. In Iran, a Comprehensive Draft Bill on Arbitration was recently adopted in order to be presented to the parliament for ratification. It applies to both domestic and international arbitration as a result of making a distinction between international and national arbitration. This article aims to conduct a critical assessment on the Draft Bill by considering modern arbitration rules. It concludes that the Draft Bill is based more on an interventionist approach than the supportive one.