Can a non-lawyer serve as an arbitrator in Israel?

Israeli arbitration runs on party autonomy, and the Arbitration Law 5728-1968 (Hok HaBoreruth) reflects that by leaving the identity of the arbitrator to the parties. The statute contains no list of professional qualifications, no licensing requirement, and no bar against non-lawyers, so the parties can name any individual they trust to resolve their dispute. This flexibility is one of the reasons arbitration is popular for technical disputes, where the parties often prefer a decision-maker who already understands the subject matter, for example a structural engineer in a construction dispute or a certified accountant in a partnership accounting fight. The default procedural rules in the First Schedule (Tosefet) to the law fill any gaps the parties leave, but they do not impose a qualification on the arbitrator.

The freedom to appoint a non-lawyer comes with safeguards. Whoever serves must be independent and even-handed, and a party can apply to the District Court under Section 11 to remove an arbitrator who is biased, behaves improperly, or proves unfit or unable to perform the task. Parties can also tailor the mandate, for instance by writing into the arbitration agreement that the arbitrator must decide according to substantive law or must give a reasoned award, which can make a legally trained arbitrator more attractive for complex or high-value matters. Where the parties cannot agree on a name, the court or a chosen institution can appoint one for them. Our guide to appointing and challenging an arbitrator in Israel covers the selection and removal mechanics in full.

From the full guide: Appointing and Challenging an Arbitrator in Israel

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