Opinion ID: 2345372
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Appeal of the Superior Court Order

Text: We must first determine whether this appeal is properly before this Court. It is well settled in this jurisdiction that appeals from interlocutory orders are not permitted unless they fall within certain well-defined exceptions. DeMaria v. Sabetta, 121 R.I. 648, 649, 402 A.2d 738, 739 (1979). There are two exceptions to this general rule: the first is statutory, and the second is judicial in origin. See G.L. 1956 § 9-24-7; McAuslan v. McAuslan, 34 R.I. 462, 472, 83 A. 837, 841 (1912). The first exception allows an appeal from an interlocutory decree that grants or continues an injunction, or orders a receiver, or orders a sale of real or personal property. Section 9-24-7. The second exception, first announced in McAuslan, 34 R.I. at 472, 83 A. at 841, permits appellate review of an order or decree which, although in a strict sense interlocutory, does possess such an element of finality that action is called for before the case is finally terminated in order to prevent clearly imminent and irreparable harm. Town of Lincoln v. Cournoyer, 118 R.I. 644, 648, 375 A.2d 410, 412-13 (1977). We have previously held that when an arbitrator's jurisdiction is in question, a Superior Court order compelling arbitration has an element of finality that may be heard on appeal. Forte Brothers, Inc. v. Rhode Island Department of Transportation, 541 A.2d 1194, 1196 (R.I.1988). In the present case, plaintiff challenges the Superior Court order allowing defendants to reject the arbitration award out of time and proceed with a trial in Superior Court. We view such an order, compelling parties to litigate in Superior Court after the twenty-day period in which to reject has expired, as analogous to the facts presented in Forte. Accordingly, we shall address the issues raised in this appeal.