Trusuns Chemical Industry Ltd. vs Tata International Ltd. on 5 March, 2004
A foreign award if allowed to be enforced is a deemed decree. It can be enforced anywhere that the respondents may have money. In other words, it is in the nature of forum hunting. The expression subject-matter of the award and the subject-matter of the arbitration agreement are two different and distinct expressions. In respect of a foreign award, if the expression subject-matter of the award was to mean the same thing as the subject-matter of the arbitration agreement, in most cases there would be no Court available where the award could be enforced as the entire cause of action in respect of the subject-matter of the arbitration could be the foreign country. Merely because in the instant case, the contract was entered into in India cannot result in a different interpretation. The expression as the explanation itself permits forum hunting if that expression can be used. After considering all these provisions a similar view was taken in Arbitration Petition Lodg. No. 427 of 2001 in the case of Naval Gent Martine Ltd., v. Shivnath Rai Harnarain (I) Ltd., and Ors., decided on 5th July, 2001 in which at the ad interim stage, apart from other issues, the issue as to the meaning of the expression "subject-matter of the award" was in issue and has been similarly answered.