Case Law Analysis
|Karnataka High Court
Ex-Parte Participation Doesn't Validate Patently Illegal Awards | Section 34(2)(b)(ii), Arbitration & Conciliation Act | Karnataka HC
The Karnataka High Court set aside ₹8.51 lakh of an arbitral award because the arbitrator awarded speculative damages without documentary support, even though the respondent participated ex-parte. This reinforces that ex-parte proceedings cannot cure fundamental flaws in arbitral reasoning - awards must still meet the threshold of legality under public policy, not just procedural compliance.