(4) Where in any arbitral or legal proceedings, a party asserts the existence of an arbitration agreement in a pleading, statement of case or any other document in circumstances in which the assertion calls for a reply and the assertion is not denied, there shall be deemed to be an effective arbitration agreement as between the parties to the proceedings.
(5) A reference in a bill of lading to a charterparty or other document containing an arbitration clause shall constitute an arbitration agreement if the reference is such as to make that clause part of the bill of lading.
Arbitration agreement not to be discharged by death of party
5.—(1) An arbitration agreement shall not be discharged by the death of any party to the agreement but shall continue to be enforceable by or against the personal representative of the deceased party.
(2) The authority of an arbitrator shall not be revoked by the death of any party by whom he was appointed.
(3) Nothing in this section shall be taken to affect the operation of any written law or rule of law by virtue of which any right of action is extinguished by the death of a person.
PART III
STAY OF LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Stay of legal proceedings
6.—(1) Where any party to an arbitration agreement institutes any proceedings in any court against any other party to the agreement in respect of any matter which is the subject of the agreement, any party to the agreement may, at any time after appearance and before delivering any pleading or taking any other step in the proceedings, apply to that court to stay the proceedings so far as the proceedings relate to that matter.
(2) The court to which an application has been made in accordance with subsection (1) may, if it is satisfied that—
- (a) there is no sufficient reason why the matter should not be referred in accordance with the arbitration agreement; and
