England and Wales · Arbitration and court procedure
What period and facts govern three-arbitrator party appointment in England and Wales?
Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a). The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period.
- Period
- Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a)
- Trigger
- Service of a written request to make the party appointment
- Rule
- Arbitration Act 1996 section 16
This three-arbitrator party appointment 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 16. Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a). The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period. 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.
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What period and facts govern three-arbitrator party appointment in England and Wales?
Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a). The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period.
Responsible actor. Each party appointing one member of a three-arbitrator tribunal.
Service of a written request to make the party appointment
The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period.
Each party appointing one member of a three-arbitrator tribunal. Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a). The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16How does this provision count time?
- Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a)
- Appoint the party arbitrator.
- The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period.
Section 78(1) and (2) preserves an agreed counting method for the applicable arbitral default. Section 78(3) begins an after-or-from period immediately after the identified date. The short-period exclusions in subsection (5) do not apply merely because a longer period ends on a weekend.
For three-arbitrator party appointment, identify the place where the arbitral act must be completed and the operative agreement. Section 78 does not itself state a universal next-working-day extension for these longer arbitral periods. Court-office closure under CPR 2.8(5) must not be imported as an automatic arbitral extension.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16Which facts prevent one automatic date?
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16. Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a). The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period. 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.
Each party appointing one member of a three-arbitrator tribunal has records establishing service of a written request to make the party appointment. Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a). Appoint the party arbitrator. The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period. Establish all source facts before choosing a final date.
The proposed compliance period for three-arbitrator party appointment meets a weekend, holiday or court-office closure. Section 78(1) and (2) preserves an agreed counting method for the applicable arbitral default. Section 78(3) begins an after-or-from period immediately after the identified date. The short-period exclusions in subsection (5) do not apply merely because a longer period ends on a weekend. For three-arbitrator party appointment, identify the place where the arbitral act must be completed and the operative agreement. Section 78 does not itself state a universal next-working-day extension for these longer arbitral periods. Court-office closure under CPR 2.8(5) must not be imported as an automatic arbitral extension. Apply the actual counting regime to the particular act. Do not infer a uniform next-working-day extension.
The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period. Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a). The actual branch facts are not established by the raw catalog period. Appoint the party arbitrator. 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
- Each party appointing one member of a three-arbitrator tribunal. Appoint the party arbitrator.
- Controlling event and applicable agreement or order
- Service of a written request to make the party appointment. The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period.
- Source-specific counting and completion place
- Section 78(1) and (2) preserves an agreed counting method for the applicable arbitral default. Section 78(3) begins an after-or-from period immediately after the identified date. The short-period exclusions in subsection (5) do not apply merely because a longer period ends on a weekend. For three-arbitrator party appointment, identify the place where the arbitral act must be completed and the operative agreement. Section 78 does not itself state a universal next-working-day extension for these longer arbitral periods. Court-office closure under CPR 2.8(5) must not be imported as an automatic arbitral extension.
- Each party appointing one member of a three-arbitrator tribunal. Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a). The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period.
- Three-arbitrator party appointment concerns each party appointing one member of a three-arbitrator tribunal and appoint the party arbitrator. The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period. Sole arbitrator joint appointment 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 three-arbitrator party appointment in England and Wales?
What period applies to three-arbitrator party appointment?
Not later than 14 days after service under section 16(5)(a). The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16Which actual event controls three-arbitrator party appointment?
Service of a written request to make the party appointment. Each party appointing one member of a three-arbitrator tribunal must establish that event from the actual request, award, service or court records.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16What act completes three-arbitrator party appointment?
Appoint the party arbitrator. The two appointed arbitrators must then appoint the chairman forthwith; that later duty has no separate fixed 14-day period.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16Who appoints the chairman?
Section 16(5)(b) directs the two party-appointed arbitrators to appoint the third arbitrator as chairman forthwith.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16Is the chairman appointment also due 14 days after the request?
The subsection gives the parties 14 days but uses forthwith for the chairman. Do not convert that later duty into a fabricated numeric deadline.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16Can agreed rules change this statutory default?
Yes. Section 16 makes these defaults subordinate to the agreed appointment procedure. Read the operative arbitration agreement and incorporated rules.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16Official sources and review
Provisions used (6)
| Provision | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Arbitration Act 1996 section 16 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Arbitration Act 1996 section 18 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Arbitration Act 1996 section 78 | Check the identified procedure, event, counting rule or qualification |
| Arbitration Act 1996 section 79 | 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 |