Written, stamped or typed additions in the contract when inconsistent with the printed terms, would normally prevail over the printed terms"

  That leaves me to consider one more argument advanced by the Applicant. It is the case of the Applicant that the purchase orders contained an Annexure, in which against the title "Other Terms", it is stated that jurisdiction would be subject to Mumbai High Court. It is the submission of the Applicant that, because of this Clause, this Court would have jurisdiction under Section 11 of the Act to appoint an Arbitrator. In the context of this submission, the Applicant has referred to a judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in the case of M. K. Abraham & Co. (Supra) and in particular to Paragraph No. 10 thereof, which reads as under:-

"10. If a contract consists of a printed form with cyclostyled amendments, typed additions and deletions and handwritten corrections, an endeavour shall be made to give effect to all the provisions. However, in the event of apparent or irreconcilable inconsistency, the following rules of construction will normally apply :

(i) The cyclostyled amendments will prevail over the printed terms;

(ii) The type-written additions will prevail over the printed terms and cyclostyled amendments;

(iii) Hand written corrections will prevail over the printed terms, cyclostyled amendments and typed written additions.

The above rules have evolved from the well known maxim of construction that "written, stamped or typed additions, when inconsistent with the printed terms, would normally prevail over the printed terms" and proceeds on the assumption that the printed form contained the original terms, and changes thereto were incorporated by the cyclostyled amendments, followed by changes by type-written additions and lastly the hand written additions. The logical explanation for such assumption is this: The printed form contains standardized terms to suit all contracts and situations. It is not drafted with reference to the special features of a specific contract. When such a standard form is used with reference to a specific contract, it becomes necessary to modify the standard/general terms by making additions/alterations/deletions, to provide for the special features of that contract. This is done either by way of an attachment of an annexure to the standard printed form, incorporating the changes, or by carrying out the required additions/alterations/deletions in the standard form itself. Such additions/alterations/deletions are done by typing/stamping/hand. We may refer to the following oft-quoted enunciation of the legal position by Lord Ellenborough in Robertson v. French MANU/ENRP/0600/1803 : [1803-13] All ER Rep.350 with reference to printed form of contract with hand- written additions :

....... that the words super added in writing are entitled, nevertheless, if there should be any reasonable doubt on the sense and meaning of the whole, to have a greater effect attributed to them than to the printed words, inasmuch as the written words are the immediate language and terms selected by the parties themselves for the expression of their meaning and the printed words are a general formula adapted equally to their case and that of all other contracting parties on similar occasions and subjects".

Another parallel principle that is equally relevant is that where the contract has several annexures/attachments, prepared at different points of time, unless a contrary intention is apparent, the latter in point of time would normally prevail over the earlier in point of time."{Para 32}

 IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY

Arbitration Application No. 250 of 2021

Decided On: 14.09.2023

Parekh Plastichem Distributors LLP Vs. Simplex Infrastructure Limited

Hon'ble Judges/Coram:

Firdosh P. Pooniwalla, J.

Citation:  MANU/MH/3701/2023,2023/BHC-OS/9920.

Read full Judgment here: Click here.

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