[2025] SGCA(I) 2 — DJP & 2 Ors v DJO

Catchwords

Arbitration — Award — Recourse against award — Setting aside — Section 24(b) International Arbitration Act 1994 (2020 Rev Ed)

Practice Areas

Arbitration

Judges (3)

David Edmond Neuberger Coram Steven Chong Coram Sundaresh Menon Delivered

Counsel (14)

Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP Firm Tham Lijing LLC Firm Wong & Leow LLC Firm Alina Chia Counsel Appellant Alvin Tay Counsel Appellant Ashish Chugh Counsel Appellant Cynthia Li Counsel Appellant Francis Xavier Counsel Appellant Juhi Agrawal Counsel Appellant Nicholas Tan Counsel Appellant Rochelle Lim Counsel Respondent Tham Lijing Counsel Respondent Toby Landau Counsel Respondent Yap Yong Li Counsel Appellant

Parties (4)

DJO Respondent DJP Appellant DJQ Appellant DJR Appellant

Summary

DJP and others appealed against the High Court's decision to set aside an arbitral award on the ground of breach of natural justice. The tribunal's presiding arbitrator had copied at least 212 out of 451 paragraphs from parallel awards involving a different claimant, raising concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the arbitral process. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, holding that the breach of natural justice permeated the entire award and it was correctly set aside.

Statutes Cited

Arbitration Act (Cap 10)

International Arbitration Act (Cap 143A)

s 24(b)

Limitation Act (Cap 163)

Cases Cited (28)

SG (3)

[2010] SGHC 80 [2024] SGHC 309 [2024] SGHC(I) 24

SLR (22)

[1993] 3 SLR(R) 357 [2000] 1 SLR(R) 553 [2007] 1 SLR(R) 95 [2007] 3 SLR(R) 86 [2008] 2 SLR(R) 491 [2009] 4 SLR(R) 732 [2013] 1 SLR 125 [2014] 3 SLR 180 [2015] 1 SLR 114 [2015] 3 SLR 488 [2016] 1 SLR 966 [2016] 2 SLR 489 [2016] 4 SLR 768 [2018] 2 SLR 1156 [2019] 5 SLR 433 [2020] 1 SLR 695 [2021] 1 SLR 935 [2022] 1 SLR 505 [2023] 3 SLR 1 [2023] 4 SLR 1031 [2024] 3 SLR 1370 [2025] 1 SLR 88

UK (2)

[2015] 1 WLR 4341 [2018] UKPC 30

AU (1)

[2023] HCA 15

Cited By (1)

[2025] SGHC(I) 15

DOI v DOJ & 2 Ors