{"id":57261,"date":"2023-05-26T16:36:04","date_gmt":"2023-05-26T11:06:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/?p=57261"},"modified":"2024-05-13T17:35:56","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T12:05:56","slug":"rule-of-repugnancy-and-appointment-of-arbitrator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/rule-of-repugnancy-and-appointment-of-arbitrator\/","title":{"rendered":"Rule Of Repugnancy and Appointment of Arbitrator Under the Indian Arbitration Regime"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Arbitration has emerged as a popular alternative dispute resolution mechanism in India due to its efficiency, flexibility, and enforceability of awards. <strong>The Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (the &#8220;Act&#8221;) <\/strong>governs arbitration proceedings in the country. One crucial aspect of arbitration is the appointment of an arbitrator, and this process is subject to the rule of repugnancy. In this blog post, we will explore the rule of repugnancy and its significance in the appointment of arbitrator under the Indian arbitration regime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Rule of\nRepugnancy under the <strong>Indian Arbitration\nand Conciliation Act, 1996 <\/strong>is an important legal principle that addresses\nconflicts between the provisions of the Act and any other laws in force. It\ndetermines the precedence of the Act over conflicting laws, thereby ensuring\nuniformity and consistency in the application of arbitration laws throughout\nthe country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/rule-of-repugnancy-and-appointment-of-arbitrator\/#Understanding_The_Rule_of_Repugnancy\" >Understanding The Rule of Repugnancy:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/rule-of-repugnancy-and-appointment-of-arbitrator\/#Application_Of_The_Rule_of_Repugnancy_in_The_Indian_Arbitration_and_Conciliation_Act\" >Application Of The Rule of Repugnancy\nin The Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/rule-of-repugnancy-and-appointment-of-arbitrator\/#Rule_Of_Repugnancy_and_Appointment_of_Arbitrators\" >Rule Of Repugnancy and Appointment of\nArbitrators:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/rule-of-repugnancy-and-appointment-of-arbitrator\/#Significance_Of_the_Rule_of_Repugnancy\" >Significance Of the Rule of Repugnancy:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/rule-of-repugnancy-and-appointment-of-arbitrator\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Understanding_The_Rule_of_Repugnancy\"><\/span>Understanding The Rule of Repugnancy:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Rule of Repugnancy is derived from <strong>Article 254<\/strong> of the Constitution of India. According to this article, if there is a conflict between a central law and a state law on matters that fall under the <strong>concurrent jurisdiction<\/strong><sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Concurrent_jurisdiction\"><strong>[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/sup> of both the central and state governments, the central law prevails to the extent of the inconsistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Indian\nArbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 is a central law that governs\narbitration proceedings in India. However, states in India also have the power\nto enact their own laws related to arbitration. In cases where a state law\ncontradicts the provisions of the central law, the Rule of Repugnancy comes\ninto play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Application_Of_The_Rule_of_Repugnancy_in_The_Indian_Arbitration_and_Conciliation_Act\"><\/span>Application Of The Rule of Repugnancy\nin The Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the\ncontext of <strong>the Indian Arbitration and\nConciliation Act<\/strong>, the Rule of Repugnancy is particularly relevant to the\nappointment of arbitrators. The Act provides for various mechanisms for the\nappointment of arbitrators, including the agreement of the parties and the\nintervention of the courts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Section 11 <\/strong>of the Act deals with the\nappointment of arbitrators by the courts. It empowers the Supreme Court and the\nHigh Courts to appoint arbitrators when the parties fail to agree on the\nappointment or when the agreed procedure fails.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If a state\nlaw attempts to govern the appointment of arbitrators in a manner that is\ninconsistent with the provisions of the Act, the Rule of Repugnancy comes into\neffect. In such cases, the Act prevails, and the provisions of the state law\nare rendered inoperative to the extent of the inconsistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rule_Of_Repugnancy_and_Appointment_of_Arbitrators\"><\/span>Rule Of Repugnancy and Appointment of\nArbitrators:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Rule of\nRepugnancy becomes relevant when there is a conflict between the provisions of\nthe Act and any other law relating to the appointment of arbitrators. In such\ncases, the Act prevails over inconsistent laws, ensuring uniformity and\nconsistency in the appointment process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For\nexample, if a state law attempts to govern the appointment of arbitrators in a\nmanner inconsistent with the provisions of the Act, such provisions would be\nconsidered repugnant to the Act. The provisions of the state law would be\nrendered inoperative to the extent of the inconsistency, and the appointment of\narbitrators would be governed by the provisions of the Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Appointment Of Arbitrator<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The appointment of an arbitrator is a crucial step in the arbitration process under the Indian Arbitration and <strong>Conciliation Act, 1996 (the &#8220;Act&#8221;)<\/strong>. The Act provides a framework for the appointment of arbitrators, emphasizing party autonomy while also providing mechanisms for intervention by the courts when necessary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Appointment by Agreement: <\/strong>Under the Act, the parties to a dispute have the freedom to determine the procedure for appointing arbitrators. They can include specific provisions regarding the number of arbitrators, their qualifications, and the process of appointment in their<strong> <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/arbitration-agreement\"><strong>arbitration agreement<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If\nthe parties have agreed on a specific method for appointment, they must follow\nthat procedure. The Act recognizes and upholds the principle of party autonomy,\nensuring that the parties&#8217; intentions are given effect in the appointment\nprocess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Appointment by the Parties&#8217;\nAgreement<\/strong>: If the parties fail to agree on the procedure for\nappointing arbitrators, the Act provides default provisions. In such cases, the\nfollowing rules apply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Appointment by the Parties:<\/strong>\nThe parties may agree to mutually appoint a sole arbitrator or a panel of\narbitrators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Appointment by a Designated\nInstitution:<\/strong> The parties may agree to submit the appointment to a\ndesignated arbitral institution. The institution, in accordance with its rules,\nwill appoint the arbitrator(s).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Appointment by the Court:<\/strong>\nIf the parties are unable to agree on the appointment procedure or if the\nagreed procedure fails, either party can apply to the relevant court for\nassistance. In India, this would typically be the Supreme Court or the High\nCourt, depending on the nature and value of the dispute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Appointment\nBy the Court: Section 11 Of the Act Deals with The Appointment of Arbitrators by\nThe Courts. It Empowers the Courts to Intervene and Appoint Arbitrators in The\nFollowing Circumstances:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Failure to Agree on Appointment:<\/strong> If the parties are unable to agree on the appointment of an arbitrator within the agreed timeframe, a party can approach the court for the appointment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Challenge to an Arbitrator:<\/strong> If a party challenges the appointment of an arbitrator, either because of bias, lack of qualifications, or any other reason specified in the Act, the court can decide on the challenge and make a fresh appointment if necessary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Failure of the Agreed Appointment Procedure:<\/strong> If the agreed procedure for appointing an arbitrator fails, the court can step in and make the appointment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The courts\nexercise their power of appointment based on the principles of impartiality,\nindependence, and qualifications of the arbitrator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Significance_Of_the_Rule_of_Repugnancy\"><\/span>Significance Of the Rule of Repugnancy:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Rule of\nRepugnancy plays a crucial role in maintaining the uniformity and consistency\nof the Indian arbitration regime. It ensures that conflicting state laws do not\nundermine or override the provisions of the central law, thereby promoting a\nharmonious and integrated arbitration framework across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By\nupholding the supremacy of the central law, the Rule of Repugnancy provides\ncertainty and clarity to parties involved in the arbitration. It prevents\nconfusion and conflicting interpretations that may arise due to the coexistence\nof state laws and the Act. This principle safeguards the integrity of the\narbitration process and reinforces the credibility and enforceability of\narbitration awards in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The rule of repugnancy is a vital principle in the Indian arbitration regime. It acts as a safeguard to maintain consistency and uniformity in the appointment of arbitrators. By upholding the supremacy of the Act over inconsistent state laws, the rule of repugnancy ensures that arbitration proceedings in India are conducted in a fair and efficient manner. It provides certainty and clarity to parties involved in arbitration, thereby enhancing the overall effectiveness of the dispute resolution mechanism in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"text-left\"><b>Read our Article<\/b>:<mark style=\"background: #fffd03 !important;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/the-patent-litigation-and-patent-dispute-settlement-by-arbitration\/\">Overview On Patent Litigation And Patent Dispute Settlement By Arbitration\n<\/a><\/mark><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arbitration has emerged as a popular alternative dispute resolution mechanism in India due to its efficiency, flexibility, and enforceability of awards. The Indian Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (the &#8220;Act&#8221;) governs arbitration proceedings in the country. One crucial aspect of arbitration is the appointment of an arbitrator, and this process is subject to the rule [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":57279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[438],"tags":[3683],"acf":{"service_id":"808"},"authorName":"Bhawna Kumari","authorImageUrl":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MicrosoftTeams-image-30.jpg","authorDescription":"I'm Bhawna Kumari, a final year student pursuing B.B.A. L.L.B. (Hons.) at Jagran Lake city University in Bhopal. With a keen interest in law, Bhawna has gained a comprehensive understanding of various legal domains such as contracts, IPR law, taxation, and corporate law. Her academic coursework has honed her analytical, research, and writing skills, making her a valuable asset in the legal field.","postViews":1873,"readingTime":4,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57261"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/64"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57261"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57261\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":64124,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57261\/revisions\/64124"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57261"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57261"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57261"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}