Arbitration costs vs going to court — which is cheaper in Malta?

Costs for arbitration through the Malta Arbitration Centre, which operates under the Arbitration Act, Chapter 387 of the Laws of Malta, are generally structured around registration fees, arbitrator fees, and administrative costs, and while arbitration is often promoted for being faster and more flexible than court litigation, whether it is actually cheaper for a lower-value dispute depends on the specific fee structure applicable and how straightforward the dispute is, since simpler cases can sometimes be resolved relatively economically in the ordinary courts too, particularly where the Small Claims Tribunal might be available for lower monetary claims. It's worth noting that for smaller disputes, the Malta Arbitration Centre uses a sole arbitrator by default below a defined monetary threshold rather than a full three-member tribunal, which does help control costs and timeframes for lower-value cases specifically. Before committing to either route, it would be sensible to check the current published fee schedule of the Malta Arbitration Centre directly, and separately confirm whether your specific dispute might actually fall within the jurisdiction and lower cost structure of the Small Claims Tribunal, since for modest amounts that route can sometimes be the most cost-effective overall.