header-logo header-logo

31 March 2023 / Jon Felce , Mikhail Vishnyakov
Issue: 8019 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Arbitration , ADR
printer mail-detail

Arbitration Act 1996: staying ‘best in class’

117272
Jon Felce and Mikhail Vishnyakov discuss proposed changes to the Arbitration Act 1996
  • Sets out and discusses five key proposed reforms to Law Commission proposals for changes to the Arbitration Act 1996.
  • Outlines some proposed minor proposals, as well as the areas where no change is proposed.

The Law Commission is reviewing the Arbitration Act 1996 (AA 1996) for changes that may be needed to maintain its reputation for being ‘best in class’.

The provisional amendments (published in late 2022) aim to reflect the trends that have evolved in international arbitration, and potential improvements that have been identified to certain provisions of AA 1996, since its enactment more than 25 years ago.

As outlined in this article, the proposals are limited and carefully targeted. This suggests that, post-reform, many stakeholders will continue to regard AA 1996 highly. The consultation closed in December 2022 and the Law Commission aims to publish its final recommendations by mid-2023. Five key provisional proposals are set out below.

Summary determination

The

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

WSP Solicitors—David Ashcroft & Jessica O’Shea

WSP Solicitors—David Ashcroft & Jessica O’Shea

Commercial property and child law teams expand with senior hires

Duxton Hill Chambers—Lucas Bastin KC & Joshua Hiew

Duxton Hill Chambers—Lucas Bastin KC & Joshua Hiew

Set expands London and Singapore offering with senior international disputes hires

Gilson Gray—Gregor Duthie & Stephen Forsyth

Gilson Gray—Gregor Duthie & Stephen Forsyth

Firm strengthens real estate and litigation teams with partner promotions

NEWS
Behind the profession’s polished exterior, lawyers are ‘internally drained rather than physically tired’, according to a stark assessment of burnout in legal practice
Five years after the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 came into force, concerns remain that the family courts continue to minimise allegations of abuse in child contact disputes
Uber has built a formidable strategy for insulating itself from liability for drivers’ conduct, but the legal terrain differs sharply between the US and England and Wales
The House of Lords (Hereditary Peers) Act 2026 marks a constitutional watershed by severing the centuries-old link between hereditary titles and automatic membership of the upper chamber
The Civil Justice Council’s review of Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974 could mark the end of what one commentator calls an ‘outdated’ and overly technical regime governing solicitor-client fee disputes
back-to-top-scroll