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2002 Int'l Bus. L.J. 775 (2002)
The Status of the Arbitral Award by Consent: The Limits of a Useful Ruse

handle is hein.journals/ibuslj18 and id is 777 raw text is: Jean-Marie TCHAKOUA*

La sentence arbitrale d'accord parties peut itre d6finie
comme la commune d6cision des parties de terminer a
I'amiable leur litige, constat6e par I'arbitre en la forme d'une
sentence arbitrale. Manifestation la plus achevde d'un
retour de la concorde entre les parties qui 6taient en conflit,
la sentence d'accord parties s'inscrit dans I'esprit de la
justice arbitrale dont on souligne assez le caractere
amiable1. On comprend bien que les reglements d'arbitrage
de plusieurs institutions privies d'arbitrage en pr6voient
1'6ventualitA2. Ces previsions rencontrent bien les preoccu-
pations des justiciables. Les statistiques montrent que de
plus en plus les litiges soumis A I'arbitrage se terminent de
fagon amiable et avant la decision de I'arbitre3. Devant une
telle issue, [a garantie minimale que les parties peuvent
rechercher consiste A constater purement et simplement
leur accord, lequel sera exdcut6 dans les conditions de droit
commun4. Mais Iorsque les dispositions applicables leur en
donnent la facult6, les parties n'hdsitent pas A opter pour
une sentence d'accord parties, puisque celle-ci b6n6ficie
des facilit6s d'ex6cution de la sentence arbitraleS.
Cet enthousiasme des institutions privdes d'arbitrage et des
justiciables A I'dgard des sentences d'accord parties
contraste avec une attitude plut6t mitig6e des Igislateurs.
Si par exemple I'article 34 du Concordat suisse sur I'arbi-
trage permet express6ment au tribunal arbitral de constater,
sous la forme d'une sentence, I'accord mettant fin au litige,
Jean-Marie Tchakoua, Docteur d'Etat en droit, Chargd de cours A l'Universit6
de Yaound6 I1.

The arbitral award by consent may be defined as
being the joint decision of the parties to settle their
dispute amicably as confirmed by the arbitrator in
the form of an arbitral award. The manifestation of
the return to an understanding between parties who
were in conflict, the arbitral award by consent
embodies the spirit of arbitral justice, which is under-
lined by its amicable nature- One understands why
the arbitration rules of several private arbitration
institutions provide for it.These rules reflect the
concerns of the parties. Statistics show that disputes
that are submitted to arbitration increasingly end in
an amicable fashion before an arbitral award- Faced
with such an issue, the minimum guarantee that the
parties may wish to have is to ensure that their
agreement will be enforceable under the basic rules
of law. However, when the applicable rules permit it,
the parties do not hesitate to opt for an award by
consent, as it benefits from the ease of enforcement
of an arbitral award.
This enthusiasm of the private arbitration institutions
and the parties with respect to awards by consent
contrasts with the somewhat mitigated attitude of
legislators. Whereas article 34 of the Swiss Arbitration
Concordat expressly permits the arbitral tribunal to
confirm the agreement ending the dispute in the

RDAIIIBLJ, N-7, 2002

LE STATUT DE LA SENTENCE ARBITRALE
D'ACCORD PARTIES : LES LIMITES
D'UN DEGUISEMENT BIEN UTILE
THE STATUS OF THE ARBITRAL AWARD BY CONSENT:
THE LIMITS OF A USEFUL RUSE

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