The Arbitration Law of ROC Article 21

In the absence of an agreement between the parties regarding the arbitration procedure, the arbitral tribunal shall, within ten days from the date of receipt of the notice of the appointment as arbitrators, determine the place of arbitration and the time for the hearing, and shall notify both parties accordingly. The arbitral tribunal shall render an arbitral award within six months thereafter; if necessary, the period may be extended by three months.For future disputes, the ten-day period shall commence from the date of receipt of the notice of the occurrence of the dispute.If the arbitral tribunal fails to render an award within the period specified in the first paragraph, either party may, unless the arbitration is compulsory, directly file a lawsuit or petition for the continuation of litigation. If a party files a lawsuit or petitions for the continuation of litigation, the arbitration procedure shall be deemed terminated.Article 133 of the Civil Code shall not apply in the event that the direct lawsuit is filed as mentioned in the preceding paragraph.