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17 March 2017 / Khawar Qureshi KC
Issue: 7738 / Categories: Features , Arbitration , In Court
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Arbitration Act 1996: key cases in 2016

Khawar Qureshi QC reviews key High Court decisions

  • Mostly hopeless s 68 challenges dominate.
  • Arbitrator bias context defined further.
  • Emergency interim measures provided for by arbitral rules likely to preclude court relief.

In this past year, there were around 50 reported Arbitration Act 1996 (AA 1996) related court decisions. The most common provision invoked was in respect of failed challenges to arbitral awards pursuant to s 68 of AA 1996 on grounds of “serious irregularity”. In addition, the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal both considered (and dismissed) challenges pursuant to the less frequently invoked s 69 of AA 1996 (appeal on a point of law) in the shipping cases of Spar Shipping v Grand China Logistics [2016] EWCA Civ 982, [2016] All ER (D) 67 (Oct) and NYK Bulkship v Cargill [2016] UKSC 20, [2016] 4 All ER 298.

In the case of DB v DLJ [2016] EWHC 324 (Fam), [2016] 4 All ER 298 Mostyn J considered the additional limitations applicable to enforcement of an arbitral

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

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NEWS
The Supreme Court has delivered a decisive ruling on termination under the JCT Design & Build form. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Singer KC and Jonathan Ward, of Kings Chambers, analyse Providence Building Services v Hexagon Housing Association [2026] UKSC 1, which restores the first-instance decision and curbs contractors’ termination rights for repeated late payment
Secondments, disciplinary procedures and appeal chaos all feature in a quartet of recent rulings. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian Smith, barrister and emeritus professor of employment law at UEA, examines how established principles are being tested in modern disputes
The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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