No Second Bite At Arbitration: Courts Bar Resets Vide Section 11 Of The A&C Act, 1996, If The Arbitration Is Voluntarily Abandoned

I. Introduction 

Latin maxim interest reipublicae ut sit finis litium is a foundational stone of any judicial system, which means the litigation must come to an end. This is the principle based on which doctrine of Res Judicata is developed and incorporated as Section 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (“CPC”). The same principle also assumes significance in arbitration considering the party autonomy and objective of the arbitration to expeditiously resolve the dispute. The Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 (“the A&C 1996 Act") provides a strict timeline, procedure and judicial safeguards to ensure that claims in arbitration should be prosecuted with due diligence to achieve the objective.