Vale Do Rio Doce Navegacao SA and another v Shanghai Bao Steel Ocean Shipping Co Ltd and Others: QBD 14 Apr 2000

An arbitration process which sought to join parties who denied being part of the contract for arbitration could not itself decide the contractual power to enforce the arbitration. Accordingly the High Court had no jurisdiction either to apply the arbitration exception to the Convention, or to act under its own practice direction, or to serve proceedings abroad under the Act.
Thomas J observed that it could not have been the intention that a party to a disputed arbitration agreement could obtain the decision of the courts on its existence without being subject to the restrictions contained in section 32 by the simple step of not appointing an arbitrator.

Judges:

Thomas J

Citations:

Times 16-May-2000, [2000] 2 All ER (Com) 70, [2000] EWHC 205 (Comm), [2000] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 1

Links:

Bailii

Statutes:

Arbitration Act 1996, Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982, Arbitration Act 1996 32

Jurisdiction:

England and Wales

Cited by:

CitedJ T Mackley and Company Ltd v Gosport Marina Ltd TCC 3-Jul-2002
The claimant challenged the validity of a notice to refer a case to arbitration. The respondent challenged saying that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the objection, and that such issues were to be decided by the arbitrator. The claim related . .
CitedUST-Kamenogorsk Hydropower Plant Jsc v AES UST-Kamenogorsk Hydropower Plant Llp SC 12-Jun-2013
Arrangements between the parties owners and operators of a power plant in Kazakhstan required disputes to be arbitrated in London under ICC Rules. That clause was governed by English law, and the remainder by Kazakh law. A ruling by the Supreme . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.

Arbitration, Jurisdiction

Updated: 06 August 2022; Ref: scu.90099