Supreme Court Criticizes Delayed Arbitral Awards

The Supreme Court expressed discontent over significant delays in delivering arbitral awards, noting potential harmful effects on the arbitration process. Such delays, if left unexplained, could lead to speculation and undermine trust.

A bench of Justices Sanjay Kumar and Satish Chandra Sharma highlighted a case where an arbitrator delayed the pronouncement for years without justification. The case raised questions about the impact of such delays on the validity of awards.

Though a delay alone isn't enough to dismiss an award, cases need individual examination. The court reiterated arbitration aims for swift dispute resolution, underlining amendments to the Arbitration and Conciliation Act for time-efficient processes.