An arbitral award can run from a few pages to several hundred. Whether you won or lost, the first priority is to understand what the award actually decides and what your options are.
Start with the dispositive section, usually at the end, headed "Award" or "Operative Part." This states what each party must do: the amounts payable, interest, costs, and any other directions. Read it carefully, because it is the part that will be enforced.
Then read the tribunal's findings on each issue. Awards usually follow the list of issues agreed or framed at the start of the proceedings. Check whether each claim and counterclaim has been dealt with. If a claim was presented but not decided, a party can ask the tribunal to make an additional award under Section 33, within 30 days of receiving the award.
Check the figures. Clerical, computational and typographical errors can be corrected under Section 33 on a request made within 30 days. The Supreme Court has held that Section 33 does not permit changes to substantive findings.
Note the dates. The three-month period to challenge an award under Section 34 runs from receipt of the award, or from disposal of a Section 33 request. Missing this deadline generally ends any possibility of challenge.
Finally, take advice promptly on whether any grounds for challenge exist, remembering that Section 34 does not allow a review of the merits.