The Arbitration Bill has passed all parliamentary stages without amendment and is currently awaiting royal assent.
The bill updates the 25-year-old Arbitration Act 1996, clarifying the law applicable to arbitration agreements, codifying a duty of disclosure for arbitrators, and strengthening arbitrator immunity against liability for resignations and applications for removal.
It gives arbitrators powers to make awards on a summary basis where there is no real prospect for success and simplifies the process where jurisdiction is challenged.
The Law Commission conducted two public consultations before drafting the bill, which implements all its recommendations for reform.
