Arbitrators approved pursuant to this chapter shall have the powers necessary to perform duties pursuant to this chapter as prescribed by the Judicial Council.
§ 1141.19.Arbitrator's Powers
Title 3. Of Summary Proceedings · Chapter 2.5. Judicial Arbitration · Enacted 1978 · no amendments on record · Last verified July 29, 2026
In one sentenceSection 1141.19 confirms that arbitrators approved to serve under this chapter hold whatever powers the Judicial Council's rules identify as necessary for them to perform their duties in presiding over a judicial arbitration proceeding, rather than defining those powers directly in the statute itself.
Full Text of § 1141.19
Plain-English Summary
This is a short delegation, not a list. Rather than spelling out exactly what an arbitrator can and can't do during a hearing — swear witnesses, rule on evidence, manage the proceeding — § 1141.19 hands that job to the Judicial Council, which prescribes an arbitrator's powers by rule under the authority § 1141.14 already gives it.
The practical effect is that an arbitrator's authority in any given hearing comes from the California Rules of Court implementing this chapter, not from language written directly into the Code of Civil Procedure. That keeps the arbitrator's toolkit adjustable without needing a legislative amendment every time procedure needs a tweak.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are an arbitrator's specific powers listed?
They aren't listed in this section itself. Section 1141.19 says arbitrators have the powers the Judicial Council prescribes by rule as necessary to perform their duties.
Why doesn't the statute spell out an arbitrator's powers directly?
Because this chapter delegates that detail to the Judicial Council's rulemaking authority under § 1141.14, letting the specifics be adjusted by rule rather than legislation.
Amendment History
Added by Stats. 1978, Ch. 743.
Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from
the Deering's California Codes Annotated / vLex. Enacted by the California Legislature.
Last verified July 29, 2026.
· Official source
Also known as: arbitrator powers judicial arbitration california