Cultural Diversity of the Arbitrators and Judges in International Arbitral and Judicial Proceedings

One of the main factors in the formation of thought system in international litigation and arbitration is the cultural considerations pertaining to judges and arbitrators. That is to say, due to their educational and cultural backgrounds, judges and arbitrators obtain a particular legal culture, which leads them to consider legal matters through the prism of their cultural background. Cultures may have close similarities with each other or may be distant from one another. The intersection of opinions and actions of judges and arbitrators with each other and with other actors, contributes to a form of cultural diversity or similarity in international judicial practice. The present article– in explaining this concept and analyzing its role in international arbitration and in the proceedings of the International Court of Justice- attempts to suggest that diversity of legal cultures leads to formation of a specific language in its own turn, through which actors in this field engage in various communicative exercises. Awareness and knowledge of this common language can lead to a better understanding of relevant legal issues in theory and practice.