In Brief
A commercial disputes case involving three agreements to sell. The court appointed an arbitrator in April 2022. After pleadings closed in August 2022, a 12-month timeline began under Section 29A of the Arbitration Act. The parties extended the deadline by six months to February 2024. However, the arbitrator delivered the award in May 2024, after the extended deadline expired. The respondent challenged the award as invalid. The appellant sought to retroactively extend the arbitrator's mandate. The Supreme Court held that an extension application is maintainable even after an award is rendered post-deadline, and that such a late award is unenforceable (not void) unless the court extends the mandate. The case was remitted for reconsideration.
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