header-logo header-logo

03 March 2023 / Khawar Qureshi KC
Issue: 8015 / Categories: Features , Arbitration , ADR , Procedure & practice
printer mail-detail

Arbitration & court intervention

Khawar Qureshi KC outlines key Arbitration Act 1996 cases in 2022
  • Last year saw a number of decisions illustrating the limited circumstances in which the English courts will intervene in Arbitration Act 1996 cases.

In November 2022, the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal from the decision of Mr Justice Jacobs who had held that an arbitrator had wrongly decided that he had jurisdiction (DHL Project & Chartering Ltd v Gemini Ocean Shipping Co. Ltd [2022] EWCA Civ 1555, [2022] All ER (D) 77 (Nov)).

Charterers informed the owners of a vessel that it was not required, and a claim for approximately $US280,000 was brought by the owners alleging breach of a binding contract which contained a London arbitration clause. The charterparty contained a provision (known as a recap) which stated ‘subject/receivers approval’.

The Court of Appeal held that upon a proper construction, a binding contract would only come into existence where the ‘subjects’ (essentially conditions precedent) had been fulfilled, which had never happened. Accordingly, the separability principle (concerning

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Newcastle & North of England Law Society—Lesley Fairclough

Newcastle & North of England Law Society—Lesley Fairclough

Ward Hadaway partner becomes bicentennial president following regional merger

Devonshires—four promotions

Devonshires—four promotions

Firm promotes four senior associates to partner in annual round

Fieldfisher—John McElroy & Daniel Hayward

Fieldfisher—John McElroy & Daniel Hayward

Co-heads of dispute resolution practice appointed alongside partner promotions

NEWS

From blockbuster judgments to procedural shake-ups, the courts are busy reshaping litigation practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School hails the Court of Appeal's 'exquisite judgment’ in Mazur restoring the role of supervised non-qualified staff, and highlights a ‘mammoth’ damages ruling likened to War and Peace, alongside guidance on medical reporting fees, where a pragmatic 25% uplift was imposed

Momentum is building behind proposals to restrict children’s access to social media—but the legal and practical challenges are formidable. In NLJ this week, Nick Smallwood of Mills & Reeve examines global moves, including Australia’s under-16 ban and the UK's consultation
Reforms designed to rebalance landlord-tenant relations may instead penalise leaseholders themselves. In this week's NLJ, Mike Somekh of The Freehold Collective warns that the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 risks creating an ‘underclass’ of resident-controlled freehold companies
Timing is everything—and the Court of Appeal has delivered clarity on when proceedings are ‘brought’. In his latest 'Civil way' column for NLJ, Stephen Gold explains that a claim is issued for limitation purposes when the claim form is delivered to the court, even if fees are underpaid
The traditional ‘single, intensive day’ of financial dispute resolution (FDR) may be due for a rethink. Writing in NLJ this week, Rachel Frost-Smith and Lauren Guiler of Birketts propose a ‘split FDR’ model, separating judicial evaluation from negotiation
back-to-top-scroll