The Arbitration Bill took a step forward last week after being included in the King’s Speech, making it likely to pass into law in the next 12 months
The Bill implements recommendations from the Law Commission’s review of the Arbitration Act 1996. It introduces a statutory duty on arbitrators to disclose impartiality concerns, allows arbitrators to expedite decisions that have no prospect of success, extends arbitrator immunity against liability, clarifies the law governing arbitration agreements, simplifies the procedure for challenging arbitral awards on substantive jurisdiction, allows the court to make orders supporting emergency arbitrators and orders in support of arbitral proceedings against third parties.
