[The
following post is contributed by Sujoy
Chatterjee who is an Advocate in New Delhi and an alumnus of the National
Law University Jodhpur (’13)]
following post is contributed by Sujoy
Chatterjee who is an Advocate in New Delhi and an alumnus of the National
Law University Jodhpur (’13)]
In recent times, there has been a propensity towards
characterizing judgments of the Indian judiciary either as “pro-arbitration” or
“against the pro-arbitration trend” (for example, see here, here and here). The rationale behind this
tendency of binary characterization seems to be that a judgment which, inter alia, upholds the validity of an
arbitration agreement, allows arbitration proceedings to commence or continue, etc,
is a step in the right direction. However, as pointed out on this Blog (see here), a facially “pro-arbitration”
judgment may yet create or propagate principled confusion, giving rise to further
litigation in future. This author believes that rather than focusing solely on
the outcome of a judgment, it is the contribution the judgment makes towards
our arbitration jurisprudence which ought to determine whether the judgment is
truly pro-arbitration.
characterizing judgments of the Indian judiciary either as “pro-arbitration” or
“against the pro-arbitration trend” (for example, see here, here and here). The rationale behind this
tendency of binary characterization seems to be that a judgment which, inter alia, upholds the validity of an
arbitration agreement, allows arbitration proceedings to commence or continue, etc,
is a step in the right direction. However, as pointed out on this Blog (see here), a facially “pro-arbitration”
judgment may yet create or propagate principled confusion, giving rise to further
litigation in future. This author believes that rather than focusing solely on
the outcome of a judgment, it is the contribution the judgment makes towards
our arbitration jurisprudence which ought to determine whether the judgment is
truly pro-arbitration.
It is in this background that the Delhi High Court’s
judgment in Delhi Airport Metro Express Limited v. CAF India & Anr., pronounced on 14 August 2014 is
significant. The judgment, which in its outcome allowed an Indian party to
proceed with arbitration proceedings in London against another Indian party,
ironically arrives at this conclusion by keeping its analysis of arbitration
jurisprudence to a minimum. Therefore, while its ultimate ruling is undoubtedly
“pro-arbitration”, Delhi Airport Metro’s
rationale for this ruling is grounded in contractual provisions and principles
of contract law as opposed to the nitty-gritties of arbitration law.
judgment in Delhi Airport Metro Express Limited v. CAF India & Anr., pronounced on 14 August 2014 is
significant. The judgment, which in its outcome allowed an Indian party to
proceed with arbitration proceedings in London against another Indian party,
ironically arrives at this conclusion by keeping its analysis of arbitration
jurisprudence to a minimum. Therefore, while its ultimate ruling is undoubtedly
“pro-arbitration”, Delhi Airport Metro’s
rationale for this ruling is grounded in contractual provisions and principles
of contract law as opposed to the nitty-gritties of arbitration law.
By way of background, Delhi Airport Metro Express Limited
had entered into a Maintenance Services Agreement on 30 June 2008 with
Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles, SA (CAF), a company incorporated in
Spain. The Maintenance Services Agreement contained an arbitration agreement,
which inter alia provided:
had entered into a Maintenance Services Agreement on 30 June 2008 with
Construcciones Y Auxiliar De Ferrocarriles, SA (CAF), a company incorporated in
Spain. The Maintenance Services Agreement contained an arbitration agreement,
which inter alia provided:
(i) the seat of the arbitration as London,
i.e., a place outside India; and
i.e., a place outside India; and
(ii) the express exclusion of Part I of the Arbitration and
Conciliation Act, 1996 (the Act).
Conciliation Act, 1996 (the Act).
(The double layer of protection, i.e., a foreign seat as
well as the express exclusion of Part I of the Act, was presumably included in
the arbitration agreement to avoid any confusion regarding jurisdiction of
Indian Courts, since the Maintenance Services Agreement was executed at a time
when Bhatia International v. Bulk Trading held the field in India.)
well as the express exclusion of Part I of the Act, was presumably included in
the arbitration agreement to avoid any confusion regarding jurisdiction of
Indian Courts, since the Maintenance Services Agreement was executed at a time
when Bhatia International v. Bulk Trading held the field in India.)
On 17 May 2010, CAF executed an Assignment Agreement in
favour of CAF India, a wholly owned subsidiary of CAF and an entity
incorporated in India, whereby the rights and obligations of CAF under the
Maintenance Services Agreement were transferred to CAF India. Thereafter,
certain contractual disputes arose between Delhi Airport Metro Express Limited
and CAF India with regard to the Maintenance Services Agreement, and on 21
January 2014 CAF India submitted its request for arbitration jointly with CAF
as per the arbitration agreement contained in the Maintenance Services
Agreement. Delhi Airport Metro Express Limited approached the Delhi High Court
challenging the validity and enforceability of the arbitration agreement,
thereby questioning the legality of the arbitration proceedings and requesting
for a restraint on CAF India from pursuing arbitration proceedings in London.
favour of CAF India, a wholly owned subsidiary of CAF and an entity
incorporated in India, whereby the rights and obligations of CAF under the
Maintenance Services Agreement were transferred to CAF India. Thereafter,
certain contractual disputes arose between Delhi Airport Metro Express Limited
and CAF India with regard to the Maintenance Services Agreement, and on 21
January 2014 CAF India submitted its request for arbitration jointly with CAF
as per the arbitration agreement contained in the Maintenance Services
Agreement. Delhi Airport Metro Express Limited approached the Delhi High Court
challenging the validity and enforceability of the arbitration agreement,
thereby questioning the legality of the arbitration proceedings and requesting
for a restraint on CAF India from pursuing arbitration proceedings in London.
Delhi Airport Metro Express Limited argued, inter alia, that both it and CAF India
were Indian companies and therefore it would go against the public policy of
India if the arbitration agreement was given effect to. The rationale behind
this argument was that two Indian parties could not, either by choosing a
foreign seat or by expressly providing so in their agreement, exclude the
applicability of Part I of the Act or attempt to avoid the applicability of the
laws of India.
were Indian companies and therefore it would go against the public policy of
India if the arbitration agreement was given effect to. The rationale behind
this argument was that two Indian parties could not, either by choosing a
foreign seat or by expressly providing so in their agreement, exclude the
applicability of Part I of the Act or attempt to avoid the applicability of the
laws of India.
Per contra, CAF India contended, among other
things, that Section 5 of the Act mandated minimal judicial intervention and that
this principle applied equally to international commercial arbitration as well
as domestic arbitration. CAF India also argued that Delhi Airport Metro Express
Limited’s suit was barred by Section 14(2) of the Specific Relief Act, 1963 and
that the High Court did not have jurisdiction to entertain an anti-arbitration
suit.
things, that Section 5 of the Act mandated minimal judicial intervention and that
this principle applied equally to international commercial arbitration as well
as domestic arbitration. CAF India also argued that Delhi Airport Metro Express
Limited’s suit was barred by Section 14(2) of the Specific Relief Act, 1963 and
that the High Court did not have jurisdiction to entertain an anti-arbitration
suit.
Manmohan Singh, J. begins his analysis of Delhi Airport Metro by crystallizing the
issue as follows:
issue as follows:
“the question which falls for consideration
is as to whether pursuant to the Assignment Agreement dated 17th May, 2010,
the rights and obligations of the Defendant No. 2 which is a Spanish Company
are completely discharged under the Maintenance Agreement and other
agreements between the parties so as to say that it has no role to play in the
rights and obligations of the parties under agreement and had exit completely
from the agreement. If the answer to the said question is in affirmative,
then only the case of the plaintiff and grounds stated therein merits further
consideration and on the other hand if the answer is in negative, then the case
of the plaintiff is not even required to be further considered as the entire
premise of the suit may fail.”
is as to whether pursuant to the Assignment Agreement dated 17th May, 2010,
the rights and obligations of the Defendant No. 2 which is a Spanish Company
are completely discharged under the Maintenance Agreement and other
agreements between the parties so as to say that it has no role to play in the
rights and obligations of the parties under agreement and had exit completely
from the agreement. If the answer to the said question is in affirmative,
then only the case of the plaintiff and grounds stated therein merits further
consideration and on the other hand if the answer is in negative, then the case
of the plaintiff is not even required to be further considered as the entire
premise of the suit may fail.”
(emphasis added by this author)
Framing the issue thus, Manmohan Singh, J. pre-empted an
arbitration-centric discussion and proceeded on an astute analysis of the terms
of the Assignment Agreement and the Maintenance Services Agreement, as well as
Section 62 and Section 43 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.[1]
This analysis culminates with the Court’s conclusion that the obligations of
CAF had not been completely discharged under the Maintenance Services Agreement
and that CAF continued to have obligations under the Maintenance Services
Agreement. On this basis the Court concluded that CAF remained a party to the
Maintenance Services Agreement, and therefore the Assignment Agreement did not
have the effect of transforming the nature of the arbitration agreement in the
Maintenance Services Agreement from an international commercial arbitration to
a domestic arbitration.
arbitration-centric discussion and proceeded on an astute analysis of the terms
of the Assignment Agreement and the Maintenance Services Agreement, as well as
Section 62 and Section 43 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872.[1]
This analysis culminates with the Court’s conclusion that the obligations of
CAF had not been completely discharged under the Maintenance Services Agreement
and that CAF continued to have obligations under the Maintenance Services
Agreement. On this basis the Court concluded that CAF remained a party to the
Maintenance Services Agreement, and therefore the Assignment Agreement did not
have the effect of transforming the nature of the arbitration agreement in the
Maintenance Services Agreement from an international commercial arbitration to
a domestic arbitration.
The only aspects of arbitration law which were briefly
touched upon in Delhi Airport Metro
were (i) the doctrine of separability, and (ii) the applicability of Section 5
of the Act to the present case. The Court, albeit en passant, opines how an arbitration clause may survive the
novation of the main agreement and how section 5 may operate as a hurdle to the
maintainability of the suit in the present case. However, even this brief
discourse is subjected to a broad rider, i.e., the Court’s finding on these
points is independent of the fact that there was no novation to the Maintenance
Services Agreement in the present case and that the issue of maintainability did
not require adjudication at this stage.
touched upon in Delhi Airport Metro
were (i) the doctrine of separability, and (ii) the applicability of Section 5
of the Act to the present case. The Court, albeit en passant, opines how an arbitration clause may survive the
novation of the main agreement and how section 5 may operate as a hurdle to the
maintainability of the suit in the present case. However, even this brief
discourse is subjected to a broad rider, i.e., the Court’s finding on these
points is independent of the fact that there was no novation to the Maintenance
Services Agreement in the present case and that the issue of maintainability did
not require adjudication at this stage.
In conclusion, the Court held that since one of the parties
to the arbitral proceedings (i.e., CAF) was a party incorporated under the laws
of Spain, therefore the proceedings fell within the realm of Section 2(1)(f) of
the Act as an international commercial arbitration. The Court ruled that the
arbitration agreement as well the arbitral proceedings did not fall foul of
Indian public policy by choosing London as the seat of arbitration and by excluding
the applicability of Part I of the Act.
to the arbitral proceedings (i.e., CAF) was a party incorporated under the laws
of Spain, therefore the proceedings fell within the realm of Section 2(1)(f) of
the Act as an international commercial arbitration. The Court ruled that the
arbitration agreement as well the arbitral proceedings did not fall foul of
Indian public policy by choosing London as the seat of arbitration and by excluding
the applicability of Part I of the Act.
Delhi Airport Metro has very subtly highlighted the
importance of (i) identifying and addressing the core issues in a dispute,
rather than delving into the technicalities of arbitration law merely because
the dispute is arbitration-centric; and (ii) reading in-between the lines of a
judgment rather than fixating only over the outcome.
importance of (i) identifying and addressing the core issues in a dispute,
rather than delving into the technicalities of arbitration law merely because
the dispute is arbitration-centric; and (ii) reading in-between the lines of a
judgment rather than fixating only over the outcome.
As an aside, a question which comes to this author’s mind
after reading Delhi Airport Metro is that keeping all the other facts
and circumstances of the case constant, if CAF India had initiated arbitration
proceedings against Delhi Airport Metro Express Limited by itself and not along
with CAF, would the arbitration proceedings still have been valid? A simpliciter
“pro-arbitration” finding would probably be inclined towards answering in the
affirmative, but a substantive analysis may yield otherwise (see here).
after reading Delhi Airport Metro is that keeping all the other facts
and circumstances of the case constant, if CAF India had initiated arbitration
proceedings against Delhi Airport Metro Express Limited by itself and not along
with CAF, would the arbitration proceedings still have been valid? A simpliciter
“pro-arbitration” finding would probably be inclined towards answering in the
affirmative, but a substantive analysis may yield otherwise (see here).
– Sujoy Chatterjee