In Brief
A real-estate company sought review of a Supreme Court judgment dismissing its appeal against the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission's (NCDRC) rejection of a request to refer a dispute to arbitration. The company argued that the 2015 Amendment to the Arbitration Act's Section 8—adding "notwithstanding any judgment, decree or order"—mandated arbitration referral despite consumer protection safeguards. The Court held that while the amendment limited judicial discretion on procedural arbitration matters, it did not override the Consumer Protection Act's status as a special statutory remedy. Consumer disputes remain non-arbitrable when a consumer has opted for the statutory forum, preserving the protective purpose of consumer law. The review petition was dismissed.
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