Originally from: Anti-Suit Injunctions in International Arbitration

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State courts are ordinarily called upon to intervene in arbitrations only when a pathological situation occurs during the course of an arbitral proceeding. In other words, courts usually intervene within the framework of what is referred to as “arbitral litigation,”1 and generally in a supervisory capacity.2 But there exists a complementary and no less important dimension that flows from the fact that arbitrators have no imperium: arbitral tribunals benefit from the legal assistance offered by state courts, contributing to the development of this specific form of dispute resolution. Contemporary arbitration statutes confer a number of powers on the courts, which flow from an understanding of the terms of arbitration agreements and which allow for judicial intervention in favor of the arbitral proceedings. This is distinct from the more traditional form of court  intervention, which amounted to an interference in the arbitral process.