England and Wales · Arbitration and court procedure
What period and facts govern party appointment with an umpire in England and Wales?
Not later than 14 days after service for each party appointment. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request.
- Period
- Not later than 14 days after service for each party appointment
- Trigger
- Service of a written request to make the party appointment
- Rule
- Arbitration Act 1996 section 16
This party appointment with an umpire 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 for each party appointment. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request. 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 party appointment with an umpire in England and Wales?
Not later than 14 days after service for each party appointment. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request.
Responsible actor. Each party appointing an arbitrator in a two-arbitrator-and-umpire tribunal.
Service of a written request to make the party appointment
The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request.
Each party appointing an arbitrator in a two-arbitrator-and-umpire tribunal. Not later than 14 days after service for each party appointment. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16How does this provision count time?
- Not later than 14 days after service for each party appointment
- Appoint that party’s arbitrator.
- The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request.
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 party appointment with an umpire, 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 for each party appointment. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request. 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 an arbitrator in a two-arbitrator-and-umpire tribunal has records establishing service of a written request to make the party appointment. Not later than 14 days after service for each party appointment. Appoint that party’s arbitrator. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request. Establish all source facts before choosing a final date.
The proposed compliance period for party appointment with an umpire 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 party appointment with an umpire, 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 umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request. Not later than 14 days after service for each party appointment. The actual branch facts are not established by the raw catalog period. Appoint that party’s 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 an arbitrator in a two-arbitrator-and-umpire tribunal. Appoint that party’s arbitrator.
- Controlling event and applicable agreement or order
- Service of a written request to make the party appointment. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request.
- 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 party appointment with an umpire, 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 an arbitrator in a two-arbitrator-and-umpire tribunal. Not later than 14 days after service for each party appointment. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request.
- Party appointment with an umpire concerns each party appointing an arbitrator in a two-arbitrator-and-umpire tribunal and appoint that party’s arbitrator. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request. 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 party appointment with an umpire in England and Wales?
What period applies to party appointment with an umpire?
Not later than 14 days after service for each party appointment. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16Which actual event controls party appointment with an umpire?
Service of a written request to make the party appointment. Each party appointing an arbitrator in a two-arbitrator-and-umpire tribunal must establish that event from the actual request, award, service or court records.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16What act completes party appointment with an umpire?
Appoint that party’s arbitrator. The umpire appointment instead depends on a substantive hearing or disagreement, not a separate fixed period after the request.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16When must the arbitrators appoint the umpire?
Section 16(6)(b) allows appointment at any time after their own appointments and requires it before a substantive hearing or forthwith upon disagreement.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16Is an umpire the same statutory role as a chairman?
No. The Act separately describes a third-arbitrator chairman under subsection (5) and an umpire under subsection (6). Apply the tribunal actually agreed.
Arbitration Act 1996 section 16Does this default cover a reference with more than two parties?
Section 16(7) sends other cases, particularly multiparty references, to section 18. Do not assume the bilateral default resolves them.
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 |