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Party autonomy is a doctrine in law related to a form of alternative dispute resolution known as arbitration. Like the other forms of dispute resolution (mediation, negotiation and conciliation), arbitration is an alternative to traditional litigation. Preference for arbitration has increased because it is faster than litigation, and it is also a private and confidential process. Arbitration is only possible when the parties have agreed in advance to several details of the proceeding that are outside the scope of "party autonomy" doctrine. The doctrine has been summarized by S. Abdulhay as "the freedom of the parties to construct their contractual relationship in the way they see fit."

The doctrine's application to commercial arbitration is an internationally recognized concept but some unresolved points are the extent of the autonomy i.e. whether there are restrictions to what the parties can agree on. The Nigeria Supreme Court in the case MV Lupex v Nigeria Overseas Chartering & Shipping Ltd define the "arbitration clause" as a written agreement between the parties that must be evaluated by a court based on its attendant circumstances.