About Beis Din
A Din Torah is a hearing of a dispute in front of a recognised Beis Din (Jewish court), in accordance with Jewish law. This dispute may relate to any commercial or personal matter which would normally be adjudicated in a court of law. The proceedings are relatively quick, cheap and informal and are determined by expert and experienced Judges known as Dayonim (single: Dayan).
It is a fundamental rule of Jewish law that a dispute between two Jews should be referred to a Beis Din for decision, and not be taken to the civil courts. It is, therefore, the religious and moral duty of any Jew who wishes to pursue a claim against a fellow-Jew, or any Jew who is called by a fellow-Jew to a Beis Din, to have the matter dealt with by a Beis Din, and to accept and carry out any decision of the Beis Din.
The Federation Beis Din is staffed by experienced Dayonim who are expert in halacha and its application to modern day commercial situations. Some are also Members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
Mediation
Mediation is a facilitative process, whereby a solution is not imposed upon the parties, but the parties are brought together and the mediator assists them in reaching a mutually acceptable resolution of their dispute. That resolution need not reflect the parties’ legal rights nor mirror the judgment that would have been given by a court.
Arbitration
Arbitration is a form of ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) that is similar to court litigation.
In arbitration, the parties to a dispute refer the dispute to an impartial adjudicator, i.e., one or more persons (the “arbitrators” or “arbitral tribunal”), by whose decision (the “award”) they agree to be bound. The decision is legally binding and enforceable.
Small Claims Beis Din
The Federation provides a Beis Horo’oh for small claims.
Claims brought before the Beis Horo’oh must meet the following criteria:
Please note that as of 1st June the Beis Din fees have changed. Please ensure that you are familiar with the new fee system before submitting an application – information can be found here.
To view or download an Application for a Din Torah please click here.
To view a sample Deed of Submission to arbitration at the Federation Beis Din please click here.