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Bombay HC clarifies that corporate affiliation alone does not bind non-signatory group companies to arbitration. Consent must be inferred from active participation in contract negotiation, performance, or dispute resolution-setting a higher threshold for piercing the corporate veil in arbitration disputes.
Karnataka High Court rules that unilateral appointment of a sole arbitrator by an interested party violates Section 12(5) of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, rendering the arbitral award void. The judgment confirms the retrospective application of the 2015 amendments to agreements executed post-23.10.2015, reinforcing impartiality in commercial arbitration.
The Punjab & Haryana High Court affirmed that contractual designation of an arbitrator does not override statutory disqualification under Section 12(5) when the appointing authority has institutional bias. This reinforces that impartiality in arbitration is non-negotiable, and courts must step in to ensure fair proceedings even when parties have pre-agreed appointment mechanisms.