recognizing general rule that arbitrators’ mistakes of law not grounds for vacating award absent “showing of denial of a hearing, fraud, misconduct, corruption, or similar irregularity leading to an unjust, inequitable, or unconscionable award”
How later courts described this case
- recognizing general rule that arbitrators’ mistakes of law not grounds for vacating award absent “showing of denial of a hearing, fraud, misconduct, corruption, or similar irregularity leading to an unjust, inequitable, or unconscionable award”
- stating that an arbitration clause providing for arbitration pursuant to AAA rules and indicating that the parties are bound by the arbitration decision denotes common law arbitration
- reiterating that even a common law arbitration award which is “blatantly at odds with the contract involved” is not a basis for finding misconduct to justify setting aside the award, and thus, since the appellant failed *920 to challenge the arbitration award within thirty days pursuant to Section 7342(b), the award must be confirmed
- observing that a common law arbitration award, even if "blatantly at odds with the contract involved," will not be set aside absent "a showing of denial of a hearing or fraud, misconduct, corruption, or similar irregularity leading to an unjust, inequitable, or unconscionable award"
Written by the judges who cited it.
The opinion
ROBERTS, Justice,
concurring.
I join the Opinion of the Court. I wish to add only that I cannot comprehend how the Court can sustain the award of the arbitrator here, and yet refuse to have done so in County of Allegheny v. Allegheny County Prison Employees Independent Union, 476 Pa. 27 , 381 A.2d 849 (1977). We should be encouraging arbitration by respecting arbitration awards, rather than engaging in the unnecessary and unwise review of the entire arbitration process. Arbitration is too valuable a friend of the Court to be treated so lightly. See County of Allegheny v. Allegheny County Prison Employees Independent Union, supra (Roberts, J., dissenting); Bole v. Nationwide Insurance Co., 475 Pa. 187, 193 , 379 A.2d 1346, 1349 (1977) (Roberts, J., joined by Nix, J., dissenting). As Mr. Chief Justice Burger has stated:
“The notion that most people want black-robed judges, well-dressed lawyers, and fine paneled courtrooms as the setting to resolve their disputes is not correct. People with problems, like people with pains, want relief, and they want it as quickly and inexpensively as possible.”
Warren Burger, “Our Vicious Legal Spiral,” 16 Judges’ Journal 23, 49 (Fall, 1977).