An arbitration agreement is generally perceived as an agreement
to submit to arbitration any disputes that may arise under the
contract containing such a clause. Arbitral tribunals and courts
are traditionally very restrictive when it comes to interpreting
such clauses - even the slightest ambiguity can result in the
arbitration clause being declared null and void. In Sonact
Group Limited v. Premuda SPA [2018] EWHC 3820 (Comm), however,
the English High Court decided that an arbitration agreement
continues to apply also to the claim for the payment that was
agreed as a settlement of the claim based on the underlying
contract.
The parties concluded a charter party contract which contained
an arbitration clause for "any and all differences and
disputes of whatsoever nature arising out of this charter".
Following the failure of the charterer to meet its obligations, the
owner claimed demurrage of USD718,948.08 and heating costs of
USD190,200. The claim was settled by an
