HIGH COURT OF CALCUTTA
CHAKRABARTI, SARMA SARKAR
MORAN AND CO. LTD. - Appellant
Versus
ANDERSON WRIGHT LTD. - Respondent
A. F. O. O. 19 Of 1952
Decided On : FEBRUARY 24, 1953
ARBITRATION - Stay of suit - Arbitration agreement - Dispute as to whether the plaintiff is a party to the contract - Not within the jurisdiction of arbitrators - Suit cannot be stayed.
Fact of the Case:
The appellant, Moran and Co. Ltd., delivered two bought notes to the respondent, Anderson Wright Ltd., which were substantially identical in form. The bought notes stated that the appellant had bought the goods from its principals on behalf of the respondent. The respondent claimed damages for breach of contract when part of the goods were not delivered. The appellant denied liability and filed a suit for a declaration that it had acted merely as a broker and was not a party to the contracts. The respondent applied for a stay of the suit under Section 34 of the Arbitration Act, relying on an arbitration clause contained in the bought notes.
Finding of the Court:
The Court held that the dispute raised in the suit was not within the jurisdiction of arbitrators and consequently the suit could not be stayed. The Court found that the dispute was as to whether the appellant was a party to the contracts for sale which contained the arbitration agreement as a term. Such a dispute, the Court held, could not be within any arbitration clause contained in the contract denied.
Issues: Whether the dispute raised in the suit was within the jurisdiction of arbitrators and whether the suit could be stayed under Section 34 of the Arbitration Act.
Ratio Decidendi: A dispute that a person is not a party to a contract is a dispute that the contract does not exist, that is to say, with him. Such a dispute cannot be within any arbitration clause contained in the contract denied.
Final Decision: The appeal was allowed, the judgment and order of the lower court were set aside, and the respondent's application under Section 34 was dismissed with costs.
( 1 ) THIS is an appeal from an order of S. R. Das Gupta J. dated 23-84951, by which the learned Judge stayed a suit brought by the appellant Moran and Co. Ltd. , against the respondent, Anderson Wright Ltd. , upon an application made by the latter under Section 34, Arbitration Act.
( 2 ) THE facts are as follows: By two different contracts, both dated 7-7-1950, the respondent purchased 12,00,000 yards of Hessian Cloth, 6,00,000 yards under each of the contracts, delivery to be made at the rate of 1,00,000 yards per month from January 1951 and payment to be made in cash on delivery. Each delivery was to be treated as a separate and distinct contract. The Bought Notes, which were addressed to the respondent and signed by the appellant over the word 'brokers', began with the sentence, "dear Sirs, we have this day bought by your order and. on your account from our Principals," and then it proceeded to set out the particulars of the goods and the terms and conditions of the contracts. Those terms included an arbitration clause in the standard form of Indian Jute Mills Association contracts and expressed as follows:"all matters, questions disputes, differences and/ or claims arising out of and/or concerning and/or in connection with and/or in consequence of/or relating to this Contract, whether or not the obligations of either or both parties under this contract be subsisting at the time of such dispute and whether or not this contract has been terminated or purported to be terminated or completed, shall be referred to the arbitration of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce under the rules of its Tribunal of Arbitration for the time being in force and according to-such rules the arbitration shall be conducted".
( 3 ) IN pursuance of the said two contracts, delivery was duly given in all the months from January to June, 1951 except March, but goods due to be delivered in that month were not delivered. By a letter dated 27-3-1951, the appellant intimated to the respondent that its sellers had informed it that, according to them, the contract had been 'ipso facto' terminated by reason of the failure of the respondent to give at least seven days' notice to place goods alongside, as required by the contracts. The respondent apparently did not accept the position that the appellant had any principal or that any default on its own part had been committed. Thereafter, on 11-6-1951, the appellant brought a suit on the Original Side of this Court for a declaration that it had merely acted as a broker in respect of the two contracts, a further declaration that it had no liability under them and an injunction restraining the respondent from enforcing the contracts against the appellant and claiming any damages from it thereunder. It was stated in the plaint that the appellant had only "brought about" the two contracts, acting as a broker, between the respondent and one Gowarchand Dhanchand and that the respondent was wrongfully alleging that the appellant was a party to the contracts and as such liable for their performance and consequently liable for damages for non-delivery of the goods due in March, 1951.
( 4 ) THE Writ of Summons was served on the respondent on 23-6-1951, but it took no steps in the suit. Instead, on 19-7-1951, it filed an application under Section 34, Arbitration Act, for a stay of the suit, out of which the present appeal arises. It was stated in the application that the contracts were "principal contracts" by which the respondent had bought from the appellant and that the appellant was liable under the contracts as a principal. In one part of the application it was also stated that "even apart from any liability of any other person or persons", the appellant was liable under the contracts "by reason of well-established practice and custom in the market. . . . . . . . . . as well as in law". It was alleged further that the appellant had failed to make the deliveries for March, 1951, then repudiated its
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.