The Superior Court has ruled that a defendant on the losing side of a $1.1 million binding arbitration award may not appeal a months-old order granting summary judgment to a joint tortfeasor.

The court this week held that the 30-day period in which to appeal the summary judgment as a final order began upon the trial court’s order to discontinue the case so that the remaining parties could pursue binding arbitration, not five months later when the court confirmed an arbitrator’s award.