Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act to put an end to the practice of ‘forced arbitration.’ Forced arbitration is a process used by large corporations to block everyday people from bringing claims of harm before a judge or jury. Forced arbitration is highly secretive, tilted to favor corporate interests, and often denies justice to the real victims of crimes and misconduct. The FAIR Act would apply to cases involving consumers, civil rights, employment, and antitrust violations and ensure those seeking justice can do so in state and federal courts.

After the passage of the legislation, Earthjustice Access to Justice Legislative Director Coby Dolan issued the following statement:

“President Biden and Congress recently took action to end forced arbitration for sexual assault victims, and today the House of Representatives took an important step toward ending forced arbitration permanently. Instead of protecting victims of crime and abuse, forced arbitration protects and empowers the abusers and corporate powers that utilize it. It serves as nothing more than a mechanism for the powerful to deny access to justice to those who need it most. When an individual is harmed, it should be up to them — not a corporation — to determine whether they want to exercise their right to our court system. We call on the Senate to affirm this right and pass this legislation to end forced arbitration once and for all.”