Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru emphasises need to improve quality of arbitral awards

Stating that rating of arbitral institutions inevitably depends upon the quality and efficiency with which awards are delivered, Vibhu Bakhru, Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka (HCK), on Friday (November 21) emphasised the need for improving the quality of arbitral awards delivered in the Arbitration and Conciliation Centre (International and Domestic), Bengaluru.

Enhancing the quality of arbitral awards is the true measure of the arbitral institution, he said, speaking after inaugurating the Bengaluru ADR Week-2025, organised joined by the Arbitration and Conciliation Centre, the Karnataka Judicial Academy, the Bengaluru ADR Week Trust, and the Advocates’ Association, Bengaluru.

The Chief Justice requested the president and Board of Governors of the Arbitration and Conciliation Centre, which functions under the HCK, to look into how the quality of arbitral awards can be strengthened or enhanced.

One way to improve the quality of awards, the Chief Justice suggested, would be by appointing a Board to look into the draft arbitral awards, which are submitted 15 days prior their pronouncement, to identify any errors, to point to issues left out, examine whether the awards reads well, and so on. Though the board would not change the award, it would help improve the quality, he added.

Stating that video-conferencing facilities will soon be available in all court halls, allowing for hybrid hearings in the Centre, Mr. Bakhru said with several major public sector units like Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited choosing Bengaluru as their preferred arbitration venue, Karnataka is firmly positioned as one of the leading institutional arbitration hubs in the country.

Justice D.K. Singh, a judge of the HCK and president of the Centre, said that the Centre will soon be able to offer better facility by expanding its physical infrastructure with the State government, in-principle, allocating 22,824 sq. ft of area, in addition to the existing 9,656 sq. ft of Khanija Bhavan where the Centre is functioning.