Emergency Arbitrator: Indian Prospects

International commercial arbitration is one of the most favourite mode of dispute resolution in world for resolving commercial disputes. Speed and cost are two important features what makes arbitrationa sought-after mode for dispute resolution because in conventional dispute resolution by courts ‘Remedy becomes worse than malady’ due to delay and cost. Legalism and authoritative courts in Anglo Saxon societies make the justice dilatory and expensive which is termed analogically as a disease of ‘Adversariasis’. Judicial minimalism is encouraged by entrepreneurs and business class of world which results in enhanced thrust on international commercial arbitration. In any arbitration interim measures are sine quo non. The irreparable loss and balance of convenience demands intervention by authoritative body to order and issue processes which can binds parties and third parties. In such cases unless interim measures are sought by municipal national courts no effective and binding interim remedies can be granted to the parties and third parties. The arbitrator once appointed is competent enough to grant interim measures and it can also decide about its jurisdiction based on doctrine of Kompetenz-Kompetenz. However, if before the appointment of arbitrator, the need of urgent interim measures arises then obviously parties have to go to the municipal national courts but this judicial intervention is not the intent of parties as they are seeking judicial minimalism. In such situations the urgent interim measures can be granted by emergency arbitrator. The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 is silent about emergency arbitrator but Delhi and Bombay High Courts have given some pragmatic judgments, making the provision of emergency arbitrator, a reality. The real problem in emergency arbitrator is how one can grant interim relief even without being in existence i.e. when arbitrator itself is non est. ICC, SIAC and LCIA provide for emergency arbitrator. In this paper the author has tried to make an analytical and comparative overview of emergency arbitrator in Indian Perspective.