Irish start-up Armistice, has launched an online dispute-resolution platform. The fees will range from €5,000 up to €40,000 per party, depending on the value of the dispute.

The online platform, www.armistice.ie, will offer a digital alternative to the traditional courts system, in a move to shift the case backlog built up as a result of the pandemic.

It will give access to binding decisions from nine legal professionals drawn from  senior counsel, experienced in the resolution of commercial disputes.

Among the legal professionals on the Armistice panel are:

• Emily Egan,
• Martin Hayden,
• Aidan McRedmond,
• Gavin Mooney,
• Patrick F. O’Reilly,
• Thomas P Hogan,
• Gary DP McCarthy,
• Retired Justice Michael Peart (the first solicitor-appointed judge).

The platform is founded by litigator Setanta Landers, who is also a partner at Hatstone (Ireland) LLP Solicitors.

Parties to a dispute may register with Armistice, upload their submissions, arrange for directions and a hearing (if necessary), and have access to a binding determination within a timeframe of weeks. 

Armistice says it offers full transparency on fees from the outset.

Mr Justice David Barniville, head of the commercial division of the High Court said: “The pandemic has required us to embrace new technologies and practices to support court hearings while we adhere to public-health guidelines.

“As part of our ongoing efforts to ease the current backlog and strengthen digital security, Armistice provides a further alternative to existing platforms on the market that can cater for a broad range of needs.”

Fees certainty

Armistice Founder Setanta Landers said: “A typical High Court case can cost hundreds of thousands of euro per party and take years to resolve.

"With Armistice, we are offering remarkable transparency and certainty on the fees, timeframe and quality of experience, making us absolutely unique in Ireland today.”

He added that there was an opportunity in the Irish market to cater for arbitration cases online, and his partnership with Australian company Modron gave clients a digital alternative.

“Out of every crisis comes innovation, and our technology can further support the digitalisation of the Irish Courts Service as we emerge from the pandemic,” he said.

Confidentiality

Armistice is purpose-built to protect the confidentiality of proceedings, provide high-resolution, audio-visual abilities, and ensure that parties have access to their own secure electronic space to enable private meetings of subgroups, as well as shared spaces.

Landers added that this has been under-utilised in Ireland in favour of mediation and the courts.