Sumukan Ltd v The Commonwealth Secretariat: CA 21 Mar 2007

The appellants sought to challenge a finding that they had by their contract with the defendants excluded the right to appeal to a court on a point of law. The defendants replied that the appeal court had no jurisdiction to hear such an appeal.
Held: The Court of Appeal did have jurisdiction. The argument that it did not was in practice circular, and ‘although there might be a temptation (in the interest of speed and saving expense) to construe any part of the language of the 1996 Act in a way that renders all decisions under the various sections where permission of the court is required as final, if the first instance court so rules, there is a distinction between those cases where the court is assisting or overseeing the arbitration process and the cases where the question is whether the jurisdiction of the court has been excluded. ‘
Waller LJ, Clarke MR, Sedley LJ
[2007] EWCA Civ 243, Times 13-Apr-2007, [2007] 2 All ER (Comm) 23, [2007] 3 All ER 342, [2007] 2 Lloyd’s Rep 87, [2007] Bus LR 1075, [2007] 1 CLC 282, [2007] ArbLR 56
Bailii
Arbitration Act 1979
England and Wales
Citing:
CitedHenry Boot Construction (UK) Limited v Malmaison Hotel (Manchester) Limited CA 25-May-2000
Where a party appealed against an arbitration to the County or High Court, the court which gave judgment was the sole body able to give permission to enter an appeal under the Act. An appellate court did not have jurisdiction to give leave to . .
Appeal fromSumukan Ltd v Commonwealth Secretariat ComC 14-Feb-2007
The claimant had created a web-site for the defendant. The claimant sought to appeal an arbitration award. . .
CitedAthletic Union of Constantinople v National Basketball Association and Others CA 28-May-2002
A party had been refused leave to appeal against an arbitration under the Act by the judge, but later obtained leave to appeal.
Held: Such leave could only be granted by the trial judge, and the Court of Appeal could set aside the leave . .
CitedASM Shipping Ltd of India v TTMI Ltd of England CA 16-Oct-2006
The court at first instance had dismissed the ship-owner’s application to set aside the arbitration award, and then refused leave to appeal. The court of appeal had to consider whether it had jurisdiction itself to hear an application for leave.
CitedCetelem Sa v Roust Holdings Ltd CA 24-May-2005
The parties were engaged in arbitration proceedings. The claimant had sought and obtained an interim mandatory order intended to prevent the defendant dissipating its assets in anticipation of an adverse ruling. The defendant sought leave to appeal. . .
CitedArab African v Olieprodukten 1983
By section 3(1) of the 1979 Act, the High Court was precluded from granting permission to appeal on a point of law from an award ‘if the parties to the reference in question have entered into an agreement in writing (in this section referred to as . .
CitedCircle Freight International Ltd v Medeast Gulf Imports Ltd CA 1988
The court considered the effect of a driver’s behaviour on the ability to claim under his insurance policy, on the basis that his behaviour would constitute ‘wilful misconduct’. Taylor LJ: ‘Mr Malins has sought to argue that although Huggins (the . .
CitedInterfoto Picture Library Ltd v Stiletto Visual Programmes Ltd CA 12-Nov-1987
Incorporation of Onerous Terms Requires More Care
Photographic transparencies were hired out to the advertising agency defendant. The contract clauses on the delivery note included a fee which was exorbitant for the retention of transparencies beyond the set date.
Held: The plaintiff had not . .
CitedCzarnikow v Roth Schmidt and Co 1922
It is aganst public policy to allow the parties to seek to oust the jurisdiction of the court. An agreement to submit disputes to arbitration does not, apart from statute, take from a party the power to invoke the jurisdiction of the courts to . .
CitedStretford v The Football Association Ltd and Another CA 21-Mar-2007
The claimant was a football player’s agent. The licensing scheme required disputes, including disciplinary procedures, to be referred to arbitration. He denied that the rule had been incorporated in the contract. He also complained that the . .

These lists may be incomplete.
Updated: 19 July 2021; Ref: scu.250453