CORRECTING & MODIFYING ARBITRAL AWARDS: THE LIMITATIONS OF SECTION 33 & THE DOCTRINE OF FUNCTUS OFFICIO

AUTHOR – HARINI S, III YEAR LLB, SATHYABAMA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, CHENNAI

BEST CITATION – HARINI S, CORRECTING & MODIFYING ARBITRAL AWARDS: THE LIMITATIONS OF SECTION 33 & THE DOCTRINE OF FUNCTUS OFFICIO, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 5 (11) OF 2025, PG. 724-731, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344

Abstract

This paper examines the intricate relationship between Section 33 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, and the doctrine of functus officio in the context of correcting and modifying arbitral awards in India. The research analyzes the statutory limitations imposed on arbitral tribunals’ post-award jurisdiction, the recent judicial developments following the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Gayatri Balasamy v. ISG Novasoft Technologies Limited, and the evolving jurisprudence surrounding the scope of correction versus modification of arbitral awards. Through a comprehensive analysis of case laws and statutory provisions, this paper argues that while Section 33 provides a narrow window for correction of specific types of errors, the functus officio doctrine continues to play a crucial role in maintaining the finality of arbitral awards, subject to limited exceptions recognized by recent judicial pronouncements.

Keywords: Arbitral Awards, Section 33, Functus Officio, Award Correction, Judicial Modification