Bengaluru, May 1 -- A constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled by a 4-1 majority that appellate courts can modify arbitral awards "under certain circumstances", ending years of legal uncertainty over judicial powers in arbitration matters. The five-judge bench, however, emphasised that such modification powers must be exercised with "great caution" and only in limited scenarios. The ruling brings clarity to a long-standing ambiguity on whether courts' powers under Section 34 and Section 37 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, extend to modifying arbitral awards. These provisions deal with a court's authority in setting aside arbitral awards and appeals against such orders, respectively. Chief Justice of India San...