In Brief
A contractor's widow challenged an order dismissing her application to enforce an arbitral award. The lower courts rejected it as premature, holding the 30-day objection period began when the respondent received formal notice on 18.11.2022, not earlier. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that Section 14(2) of the Arbitration Act, 1940 requires only that parties become aware of the award's existence—not formal written notice. Here, a 21.09.2022 court order directing payment of arbitrator's fees and stating the award would follow constituted sufficient notice. The 30-day period thus began on 21.09.2022, expiring on 20.10.2022. The application filed 10.11.2022 was timely. The Court favoured a substantive interpretation (awareness) over procedural formalism to prevent award-debtors from delaying arbitration proceedings.
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