Section 29 Arbitration Act: Fast track procedure

Section 29 of Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996: Fast track procedure

Official Bare Act Text

Override / Mandate Mens Rea (Intent) Actus Reus (Conduct) Punishment Limitation Monetary

(1) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, in arbitral proceedings with more than one arbitrator, any decision of the arbitral tribunal shall be made by a majority of all its members.

(2) Notwithstanding sub-section (1), if authorised by the parties or all the members of the arbitral tribunal, questions of procedure may be decided by the presiding arbitrator.

Statutory Defined Terms in this Section: (Click any term for official legal definition)

Arbitration Sec 2(1)(a) Arbitral Tribunal Sec 2(1)(d)

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 29

Section 29 regulates decision-making by a multi-member arbitral panel and anchors the statutory time-limits governing domestic arbitral awards under Section 29A.

Arbitration Framework & Scope: Section 29 mandates that in arbitral proceedings with more than one arbitrator, any decision of the arbitral tribunal shall be made by a majority of all its members, while procedural questions may be decided by the presiding arbitrator if authorized by the parties.
Core Legal Standard: Working in tandem with Section 29A, it imposes strict temporal discipline, mandating completion of domestic arbitral awards within 12 months (extendable by 6 months with party consent).

Key Landmark Precedents:

Rohan Builders (India) Pvt. Ltd. v. Berger Paints India Ltd. (2024) INSC 686: The Supreme Court held that applications for extension of time under Section 29A can be entertained by courts even after the expiry of the statutory period; the tribunal's mandate does not irrevocably terminate the moment the calendar expires.
Harkirat Singh Sodhi v. Omaxe Ltd. (2023): Affirmed that the time limits governing arbitral proceedings under Section 29 and 29A enforce commercial accountability and protect arbitration from open-ended trial delays.

Legal Commentary:

Section 29 harmonizes collegial decision-making in multi-arbitrator tribunals. Coupled with statutory time discipline, it ensures that high-stakes commercial arbitrations proceed under structured majority voting within predictable timelines.

Section 29: Fast track procedure

Section 29 of Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996: Fast track procedure

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 29