Fresh Copy Of Arbitral Award Cannot Restart Limitation To Challenge Award: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has dismissed two petitions filed by the Union of India challenging an arbitral award. It held that a party cannot allow the statutory period for challenging an award to expire and later attempt to restart the limitation by obtaining another copy of the award. Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar delivered the judgment. The court observed, "A party, despite having knowledge of an Award and despite its authorised representative having received the signed copy, could...

WhatsApp Acknowledgment Of Arbitral Award Shows Acceptance, Bars Delayed Challenge: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court has dismissed a challenge to an interim arbitral award after finding that the party seeking to set it aside had acknowledged receiving it on WhatsApp, participated in discussions on its implementation, and acted upon it before questioning the award only after execution proceedings were initiated. The court held that the challenge to the interim arbitral award, raised more than two years after the petitioner admittedly acquired knowledge of it was barred by...

'Duly Certified Copy' Under HC Arbitration Scheme Can Include Party Or Counsel Attestation: Kerala High Court

The Kerala High Court has recently held that, for the purpose of arbitration requests filed under the Kerala High Court Scheme for Appointment of Arbitrators, 1996, a "duly certified copy" of a private arbitration agreement does not have to be certified by a public authority. It held that the requirement is satisfied where the party files an affidavit certifying the copy as a true copy of the original, explains why the original has not been produced, and submits a copy attested to by the party...

'Enforced' Is Not The Same As 'Enforceable' For Post-Arbitral Award Interim Relief: Telangana High Court

The Telangana High Court has recently held that an award-holder can invoke Section 9 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act to seek interim protection until an arbitral award is actually enforced. The remedy remains available even after the award becomes enforceable. A Division Bench of Justices Moushumi Bhattacharya and Gadi Praveen Kumar ruled that the expression "before it is enforced" in Section 9 refers to the completion of enforcement proceedings. It cannot be equated with the stage when...

Procedural Irregularity Without Prejudice Not Ground To Set Aside Arbitral Award: Delhi High Court

The Delhi High Court on 6 July held that a party challenging the constitution of an arbitral tribunal must establish actual prejudice caused by the alleged procedural irregularity, and that mere dissatisfaction with the appointment process cannot be a ground to set aside an arbitral award. Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar dismissed a petition filed by Shriram Pistons & Rings Limited challenging an arbitral award passed in favour of Usha International Limited. He observed: “It is also...

Confidential Material From Separate Arbitration Cannot Be Relied Upon Merely Because ICC Rules Don't Bar It: Delhi HC

The Delhi High Court has held that confidential material from a separate arbitration cannot be relied upon in another arbitral proceeding merely because the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Rules do not expressly prohibit its use. It upheld an arbitral award in favour of Alstom Transport India Limited after finding that the arbitral tribunal was justified in refusing to admit such material. Justice Harish Vaidyanathan Shankar observed, "A statutory mandate enacted by Parliament...

Delhi High Court Sets Aside HPCL Penalty For Undisclosed Fake LPG Connections, Upholds Award In Part

The Delhi High Court on 1 July held that an arbitral tribunal cannot uphold a penalty for alleged fake LPG consumer connections without evidence establishing that the connections were fictitious or without disclosing their identities to the affected party. Such findings are patently illegal and liable to be set aside. A Division Bench of Justices C. Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla partly allowed an appeal filed by LPG distributor D.V. Anand against an arbitral award that upheld a penalty...

Post-Arbitral Award Interim Relief Does Not Require 'Exceptional Circumstances': Telangana High Court

An award holder can seek interim protection after an arbitral award becomes enforceable and need not demonstrate exceptional circumstances to obtain such relief, the Telangana High Court has held while restoring a petition seeking disclosure of the award debtor's assets. A division bench of Justices Moushumi Bhattacharya and Gadi Praveen Kumar set aside a Commercial Court order that had rejected KPB Consumers' plea for post-award interim relief. The court held that the Commercial Court's...

Absence Of Bank Guarantee No Ground To Deny Interim Relief In Redevelopment Arbitration: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has held that the absence of a bank guarantee under the Maharashtra government's redevelopment guidelines, by itself, cannot invalidate a housing society redevelopment project or justify refusing interim relief under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. Holding so, the court observed, "Once this Court has already held that furnishing of bank guarantee under the Government Resolution is recommendatory and not mandatory, mere absence of a bank guarantee cannot make...

Emergency Relief Under Foreign Arbitration Rules Does Not Bar Interim Relief By Indian Courts: Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court has recently held that the availability of emergency or interim relief under the rules of a foreign arbitral institution does not, by itself, prevent Indian courts from granting interim protection in support of a foreign-seated arbitration. It observed that merely choosing institutional rules that provide for emergency measures is not enough to exclude the court's jurisdiction. Justice Somasekhar Sundaresan made the ruling while directing Turkish company Uzer Makina VE...

Party Cannot Revive Contention Omitted Earlier Through Fresh Plea In Same Dispute: Gujarat High Court

The Gujarat High Court on 29 June held that a party cannot revive an issue through a fresh application after failing to raise an available contention at the appropriate stage, holding that such an attempt is barred by the principles of constructive res judicata, waiver and finality of litigation. Justice Niral R. Mehta dismissed a petition filed by JWIL Infra Ltd. (formerly JITF Water Infrastructure Ltd.) under Article 227 of the Constitution and upheld the arbitral tribunal's order refusing to...

Non-Signatory Cannot Be Compelled To Arbitrate Merely For Claiming Through Signatory: Bombay HIgh Court

The Bombay High Court has recently held that a non-signatory cannot be compelled to arbitrate merely because it is alleged to be claiming "through or under" a signatory to an arbitration agreement. Emphasising that arbitration is founded on consent, the court observed, "Since consent forms the cornerstone of arbitration, a non-signatory cannot be forcibly made a 'party' to an arbitration agreement, as doing so would violate sacrosanct principles of privity of contract and party autonomy." ...