Court Stays Eastman vs CEPEP Case for Mediation

A lawsuit filed by Eastman Enterprise Ltd against the CEPEP Company Ltd has been put on hold by the Court of Appeal, upholding a High Court ruling. The court has ordered the contractor to first go through the mandatory mediation and arbitration process as outlined in its agreement with CEPEP before taking legal action. This decision came after a dispute sparked when CEPEP terminated Eastman’s contract. Eastman, in response, sought an urgent injunction, arguing that CEPEP’s termination rights were limited by a later agreement. However, the court insisted that the dispute should be resolved through alternative dispute resolution (ADR) under the 2023 Arbitration Act. The court also overturned a premature decision to refer the matter to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).