In Brief
In this appeal, the Supreme Court clarified the law on termination of arbitral proceedings under the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996. An arbitrator terminated proceedings under Section 32(2)(c) (finding continuation unnecessary), and the arbitrator later passed an order recalling it. The Court held that once an arbitrator's mandate terminates under Section 32(3), no recall application lies. The Court distinguished Section 32 (termination by mandate) from Section 25(a) (termination by default, which may be revived). The judgment also clarified that 'unnecessary' or 'impossible' in Section 32(2)(c) covers situations distinct from default. The High Court's decision was set aside, and a new arbitrator was appointed by consent.
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