Dispute Resolution

Blacklisting – A Proportionate Sanction or a Corporate Exile?

The Supreme Court on August 7, 2024, in The Blue Dreamz Advertising Pvt. Ltd. & Anr. v. Kolkata Municipal Corporation & Ors.[1] rendered a significant judgment in assessing the validity of a debarment or a blacklisting order. The court reiterated its position that invoking debarment in ordinary cases of breach of contract where there is a bona fide dispute, is not permissible.Continue Reading Blacklisting – A Proportionate Sanction or a Corporate Exile?

Can damages be awarded based on a guess?

A division bench of the Delhi High Court in Cobra Instalaciones Y Servicios, S.A. & Shyam Indus Power Solution Pvt Ltd. v. Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Ltd. (“HVPNL”)[1] (“Cobra Case”)upheld the quantification of damages by an arbitrator through “honest guesswork” or a “rough and ready method” since it was difficult to quantify the precise amount of loss suffered by the party.

In this blog, we examine the rough and ready approach under Indian law for quantifying damages.Continue Reading Can damages be awarded based on a guess?

What is a Joint Venture?

A commercial arrangement entered into between two or more parties, who agree to pool their resources, to accomplish an intended project (or other business activity) is referred to as a Joint Venture (“JV”). Effectively, it is a collaboration between two companies. Such collaboration can be either purely financial or technical-cum-financial. In the Indian context, most of the JVs are between a foreign company and an Indian company and are primarily to bring in newer technologies to India.Continue Reading Joint Ventures: Why do they break-up?

Gujarat High Court: Upholding the validity of The Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 2020 – Part II

Introduction

To address the issue of land grabbing in Gujarat, the government introduced the Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Bill, 2020, in the State Legislative Assembly. Upon approval, the Bill became the Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 2020, (“the Act”), effective August 29, 2020. However, the implementation of the Act was questioned on the grounds of it being overly harsh and its enactment being contrary to law.Continue Reading Gujarat High Court: Upholding the validity of The Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 2020 – Part II

Out on bail: Do not disturb?

OVERVIEW

A live location on your mobile phone, gets you a cab and instant food/grocery delivery, among myriad other things. On occasion, a live location could also get you bail!This is seen from several recent judicial orders including some passed by the Hon’ble Delhi High Court and the Hon’ble Supreme Court as well.Continue Reading Out on bail: Do not disturb?

Upholding the validity of The Gujarat Land Grabbing Prohibition Act 2020

Brief Background

In 2020, the Gujarat Government enacted the Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 2020 (“the Act”), to combat illegal encroachment and land grabbing of public and private land by land mafias in the state of Gujarat. The Act not only declared land grabbing as unlawful, but also brought it within the purview of crime. For trial of this new offence, the Act prescribed creation of Special Courts whose jurisdiction was not only limited to criminal cases of land grabbing, but also extended to providing civil remedies.Continue Reading Gujarat High Court: Upholding the validity of The Gujarat Land Grabbing (Prohibition) Act, 2020 – Part I

Arbitrability of Disputes: Indian Jurisprudence

[Continued from Part I]

The Vidya Drolia Case: Redefining Arbitrability

In 2019, aiming to solve the conundrum and marking a significant milestone in Indian arbitration, the Supreme Court’s ruling in Vidya Drolia and Ors v. Durga Trading Corporation,[1] (“Vidya Drolia”) laid down the contours of arbitrability. While analysing thearbitrability of Landlord-Tenant disputes governed by the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 (“TPA”), the Supreme Court elucidated that the mere existence of a special statute dealing with certain disputes does not ipso facto render them non-arbitrable, thereby widening the scope of arbitrability and increasing the access to arbitration in complex legal contexts. Continue Reading Arbitrability of Disputes: Indian Jurisprudence (Part 2)

The Uphill Battle of Challenging a Compromise Decree

Introduction:

Judicial pendency has been a roadblock in India’s quest to becoming a leading global economy. Although attributable to numerous factors, addressing the floodgate of litigation in the country is undoubtably the need of the hour[1]. Accordingly, various approaches have been adopted to promote the amicable settlement of pending litigation, including through alternate dispute redressal forums such as mediation, national lok adalats, etc., or by the volition of the State through numerous schemes such as Vivad se Vishwas[2].Continue Reading The Uphill Battle of Challenging a Compromise Decree

Arbitrability of Disputes: Indian Jurisprudence [Part I]

Introduction

Arbitrability plays a pivotal role in dispute resolution, determining if a particular dispute can be resolved through arbitration. Several key factors, including, among other things, procedural/curial laws, governing law and actual text of the arbitral agreements, identity of the parties, etc., help establish arbitrability.[1] Continue Reading Arbitrability of Disputes: Indian Jurisprudence [Part I]

Summoning additional accused in criminal trial: When, why and how

OVERVIEW

Can a person who is neither named in the first information report (“FIR”) nor mentioned in the chargesheet, be summoned by a trial court later to face trial as an accused in respect of the very same FIR and chargesheet? If so, what would be the threshold and under what circumstances can such power be exercised?Continue Reading Summoning additional accused in criminal trial: When, why and how