S. 8 of Arbitration Act

Section 8 of the Arbitration Act allows a party to apply to the court to stay (pause) legal proceedings if there is an existing arbitration agreement between the parties. Essentially, if there is a valid arbitration clause, the court must refer the dispute to arbitration instead of proceeding with litigation, unless the dispute is not arbitrable or the arbitration agreement is invalid. This promotes resolving disputes through arbitration, which is often faster and more confidential, while respecting the parties' agreement to settle disputes outside of court.