The Honourable Barry Leon, arbitrator and mediator with 33 Bedford Row and Arbitration Place, and Anthony Daimsis, professor of law in University of Ottawa’s Common Law section and member of Littleton Chambers’ International Arbitration Group, discuss the role the metaverse might play in the future of arbitration in a 3-part article in The Lawyer’s Daily, part of LexisNexis Canada Inc.

Anthony describes the moot that uOttawa ran in the metaverse and what a virtual reality hearing room looks and feels like. He discusses the pros and cons of a hearing in the metaverse, including practical shortcomings of the technology … so far. While he concludes that the technology is “not quite ready for prime time”, virtual reality technology may have a transformative role in dispute resolution.

Barry comments on Anthony’s observations, drawing on experiences with virtual arbitrations, and offer his perspective on how virtual reality technology may have a transformative role in dispute resolution, even if it is in its infancy today. One of Barry’s take-aways is that “you can’t go back again.”

Were we ready for Zoom hearings at the beginning of 2020? Will we be ready for arbitration in the metaverse?

 

Part 1: “Arbitration in the metaverse: Not quite ready for prime time” 

 

Part 2: “Arbitration in the metaverse: Access to justice” 

 

Part 3: “Arbitration in the metaverse: You can’t go back again” 

 

To view the entire uOttawa/LeClair metaverse moot (by scrolling to minute 50, you can get a good sense of judges, counsel, and different angles of the courtroom) clcik here.