Staying court proceedings where party proves arbitration agreement

(1) If any party to an arbitration agreement, or any person claiming through or under him, commences any legal proceedings in any court against any other party to the agreement, or any person claiming through or under him, in respect of any matter agreed to be referred, any party to the proceedings may at any time after appearance, and before delivering any pleadings or taking any other steps in the proceedings, apply to the court to stay the proceedings; and the court, unless satisfied that the arbitration agreement is null and void, inoperative or incapable of being performed or that there is not in fact any dispute between the parties with regard to the matter agreed to be referred, shall make an order staying the (2) Subsection (1) of this section does not apply in relation to a domestic arbitration agreement. (3) In this section “domestic arbitration agreement” means an arbitration agreement which does not provide, expressly or by implication, for arbitration in a State other than Belize and to which neither, (a) an individual who is a national of or habitually resident in, any State other than Belize; nor (b) a body corporate which is incorporated in, or whose central management and control is exercised in, any State other than Belize, is a party at the time the proceedings are commenced.