Book Launch: Supreme Court on Commercial Arbitration by Dr Manoj Kumar

A book focusing on the Supreme Court on Commercial Arbitration, authored by Dr. Manoj Kumar, was released on May 13, 2023 in the presence of a galaxy of legal luminaries at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

The book was launched during the founder's day celebrations of Hammurabi & Solomon Partners.

The keynote address at the event was rendered by retired Supreme Court judge, Justice MR Shah, who observed that the adaptability of foreign awards in India has made the Indian arbitration diaspora respectable before the key international players.

Welcoming the judges and legal icons present, Shweta Bharti, Senior partner of Hammurabi & Solomon Partners commented that a need was felt to put all significant judgments rendered by the apex court on commercial arbitration in one place to have a better understanding on how the law has evolved over the past century.

This was in view of the substantial jurisprudence laid down by the Supreme Court on the topic and the evolution of arbitration in the country, she said.

The opening address was given by Dr. Lalit Bhasin, President of the Society of Indian Law Firms and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (India Chapter). He stated that this contribution to arbitration law will help the Indian arbitration framework develop at par with counterparts such as the ICC, SIAC, etc. 

The book's author, Dr. Manoj Kumar thanked the dignitaries present, particularly Attorney General, R Venkataramani for agreeing to review and write foreword for the book. The initiative to write the book had commenced with the guidance and blessings of Padma Bhushan awardee, Dr. NR Madhava Menon, he recounted.

Dr. Kumar also spoke of how an efficient and robust arbitration framework would serve as a bridge to a global India, where businesses thrive not for profit motives alone but also to contribute to generating employment, growth and national security.

Commenting on the book, Attorney General Venkatramani said,

“The Judgments have been placed in ascending order beginning 1988 from Volume 1 onwards. To facilitate easy searching and to make the compendium more useful, four type of indexes have been provided, namely, (i) Subject Index, (ii) Section Index, (iii) Nominal Index and (iv) Year wise index. Additionally, each Judgment is supplemented with a lucid head note highlighting the ratio laid down in each case by the Hon'ble Supreme Court. Cases have been covered under two sections namely Full Reports and Short Rulings to cover maximum number of Cases. Apart from CLA Citation, parallel citation of SCC has also been incorporated to add enhanced utility to the compendium. All these have added value and utility.”

The book aims to be an essential guide for legal professionals, arbitrators, academics, and anyone seeking a thorough understanding of commercial arbitration in India.

It offers quick access to the legal principles, precedents, and interpretations necessary for their work.

By consolidating a wealth of legal knowledge into a single volume, it seeks to provide legal professionals with a reliable, tangible, and comprehensive resource. The author has envisioned a unique and immersive experience for readers, to deepen their understanding of the subject matter.