Arbitrators' specialisms

The arbitrators of the authenticity chamber are lawyers used to handling expert evidence, art historians and former court-appointed experts. They know how to distinguish expert opinion, scientific analysis and documentary evidence.

The provenance chamber brings together specialists in title: property law, succession, spoliation, international law. It may also include historians and archivists able to analyse complex archives.

The restitution chamber includes lawyers in public international law, heritage law and the protection of cultural property. Several have experience in international organisations or ministries of culture.

These arbitrators know the applicable conventions, the diplomatic stakes and the constraints of States. They are particularly attentive to the sensitivity of claims coming from communities or indigenous peoples.

The contracts chamber brings together international trade lawyers, former directors of auction houses and galleries, and specialists in insurance and the transport of works. It handles disputes over sales, consignments, deposits and warranties.

Its arbitrators master the customs: sale costs, warranty conditions, intermediaries' liability, transport risks. This knowledge of the field speeds up the proceedings and makes decisions better accepted.

For very specialised scientific or artistic questions, the tribunal may call in an independent expert, appointed after consulting the parties. The expert delivers a report that the parties may discuss. Experts accredited by certification may be called on, subject to their independence.

In some cases, an assessor, a specialist in the field, sits with an advisory vote. This formula enlightens the tribunal without transferring the power to decide to a third party.