England and Wales · Arbitration and court procedure
What period and facts govern serious-irregularity challenge in England and Wales?
The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
- Period
- The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation
- Trigger
- The applicable section 70 date for the particular irregularity challenge
- Rule
- Arbitration Act 1996 section 68
This serious-irregularity challenge guide uses retained current official Arbitration Act 1996 text and current Justice UK CPR and PD 62 pages. The 2025 Act section 12 and SI 2025/905 commenced the amended section 70 scheme on August 1, 2025. Section 17(4) of the 2025 Act preserves its specified precommencement exclusions; the actual arbitral and court commencement facts remain necessary.
Source guide · No automated date
Check the applicable procedure
Arbitration Act 1996 section 68. The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material. Establish the actual actor, event, agreed regime, court order and completion facts before relying on a final endpoint. This source guide provides no computed or paid date.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 68What lawyers say
5.0“The platform is really easy to use.”
Michael B.Employment litigation attorney · California
“The Evidence Record saved us time with our insurance on bankruptcy matters.”
MariaBankruptcy and commercial attorney · London, UK
“The most up-to-date service we could find.”
Li ChenArbitration practitioner · Singapore
What period and facts govern serious-irregularity challenge in England and Wales?
The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
Responsible actor. A party alleging serious irregularity under section 68.
The applicable section 70 date for the particular irregularity challenge
The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
A party alleging serious irregularity under section 68. The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 68How does this provision count time?
- The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation
- Issue the section 68 application using the appropriate originating process.
- The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
For serious-irregularity challenge, section 80(4) and (5) separates court issue from service and applies court counting rules to statutory court time limits. CPR 2.8 computes day periods as clear days and omits specified nonworking days only for periods of five days or less.
For serious-irregularity challenge, CPR 2.8(5) addresses an act at a court office whose final day is a closure day. It does not automatically move service on another party, erase required intervening clear days, or lift the enforcement restriction. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 68Which facts prevent one automatic date?
Arbitration Act 1996 section 68. The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material. Establish the actual actor, event, agreed regime, court order and completion facts before relying on a final endpoint. This source guide provides no computed or paid date.
A party alleging serious irregularity under section 68 has records establishing the applicable section 70 date for the particular irregularity challenge. The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation. Issue the section 68 application using the appropriate originating process. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material. Establish all source facts before choosing a final date.
The proposed compliance period for serious-irregularity challenge meets a weekend, holiday or court-office closure. For serious-irregularity challenge, section 80(4) and (5) separates court issue from service and applies court counting rules to statutory court time limits. CPR 2.8 computes day periods as clear days and omits specified nonworking days only for periods of five days or less. For serious-irregularity challenge, CPR 2.8(5) addresses an act at a court office whose final day is a closure day. It does not automatically move service on another party, erase required intervening clear days, or lift the enforcement restriction. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material. Apply the actual counting regime to the particular act. Do not infer a uniform next-working-day extension.
The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material. The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation. The actual branch facts are not established by the raw catalog period. Issue the section 68 application using the appropriate originating process. Establish the material facts or follow the actual order; this guide supplies no automatic date.
Which conditions and exceptions apply?
- Actual actor and completed procedural act
- A party alleging serious irregularity under section 68. Issue the section 68 application using the appropriate originating process.
- Controlling event and applicable agreement or order
- The applicable section 70 date for the particular irregularity challenge. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
- Source-specific counting and completion place
- For serious-irregularity challenge, section 80(4) and (5) separates court issue from service and applies court counting rules to statutory court time limits. CPR 2.8 computes day periods as clear days and omits specified nonworking days only for periods of five days or less. For serious-irregularity challenge, CPR 2.8(5) addresses an act at a court office whose final day is a closure day. It does not automatically move service on another party, erase required intervening clear days, or lift the enforcement restriction. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
- A party alleging serious irregularity under section 68. The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
- Serious-irregularity challenge concerns a party alleging serious irregularity under section 68 and issue the section 68 application using the appropriate originating process. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material. Substantive-jurisdiction challenge addresses a separate procedural question and cannot establish this actor’s completed step.
What must the responsible actor complete?
Questions about this procedure
What period and facts govern serious-irregularity challenge in England and Wales?
What period applies to serious-irregularity challenge?
The section 70(3)28-day period, subject to an actual court variation. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 68Which actual event controls serious-irregularity challenge?
The applicable section 70 date for the particular irregularity challenge. A party alleging serious irregularity under section 68 must establish that event from the actual request, award, service or court records.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 68What act completes serious-irregularity challenge?
Issue the section 68 application using the appropriate originating process. The irregularity must fit section 68(2) and cause or threaten substantial injustice; available recourse and lost-objection rules remain material.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 68Is any procedural mistake a serious irregularity?
No. Section 68(2) lists the relevant categories and also requires substantial injustice to the applicant. A mere disagreement is insufficient.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 68Can ambiguity or an omitted issue require tribunal recourse first?
Section 70(2)(b) requires exhaustion of available section 57 recourse. Identify whether the tribunal can address the actual omitted or ambiguous matter.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 70Is setting aside the only available remedy?
No. Section 68(3) includes remission and restricts setting aside or declaring no effect where remission would be appropriate.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 68Official sources and review
Provisions used (8)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Arbitration Act 1996 section 68 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Arbitration Act 1996 section 70 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Arbitration Act 1996 section 57 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Arbitration Act 1996 section 73 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Arbitration Act 1996 section 80 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| CPR 2.8 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Arbitration Act 2025 section 17 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| SI 2025/905 regulation 2 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |