Section 32 Determination of preliminary point of jurisdiction.

(1)

The court may, on the application of a party to arbitral proceedings (upon notice to the other parties), determine any question as to the substantive jurisdiction of the tribunal.

A party may lose the right to object (see section 73).

F1(1A)

An application under this section must not be considered to the extent that it is in respect of a question on which the tribunal has already ruled.

(2)

An application under this section shall not be considered unless—

(a)

it is made with the agreement in writing of all the other parties to the proceedings, or

(b)

it is made with the permission of the tribunal F2...

F3(3)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(4)

Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, the arbitral tribunal may continue the arbitral proceedings and make an award while an application to the court under this section is pending.

(5)

Unless the court gives leave, no appeal lies from a decision of the court whether F4either condition specified in subsection (2) is met.

(6)

The decision of the court on the question of jurisdiction shall be treated as a judgment of the court for the purposes of an appeal.

But no appeal lies without the leave of the court which shall not be given unless the court considers that the question involves a point of law which is one of general importance or is one which for some other special reason should be considered by the Court of Appeal.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: S. 32(1A) inserted (1.8.2025) by Arbitration Act 2025 (c. 4), ss. 5, 17(2); S.I. 2025/905, reg. 2
F2: Words in s. 32(2)(b) omitted (1.8.2025) by virtue of Arbitration Act 2025 (c. 4), ss. 14(2)(a), 17(2); S.I. 2025/905, reg. 2
F3: S. 32(3) omitted (1.8.2025) by virtue of Arbitration Act 2025 (c. 4), ss. 14(2)(b), 17(2); S.I. 2025/905, reg. 2
F4: Words in s. 32(5) substituted (1.8.2025) by Arbitration Act 2025 (c. 4), ss. 14(2)(c), 17(2); S.I. 2025/905, reg. 2

Notes on Part I

Modifications

C1

Pt. 1 excluded (E.W.) (1.11.1996) by 1996 c. 56, s. 336(4), 476(4), 582(4), Sch. 40, para. 4 (with s. 1(4))

Pt. 1 excluded (31.1.1997) by 1988 c. 8, s. 6 (as substituted (31.1.1997) by 1996 c. 23, s. 107(1), Sch. 3 para. 49; S.I. 1996/3146, art. 3 (with art. 4, Sch. 2))

Pt. 1 excluded (N.I.) (1.3.1999) by S.I. 1998/3162 (N.I. 21), art. 89(6); S.R. 1999/81, art. 3

C2

Pt. 1 (ss. 1-84) excluded (E.W.) by 1998 c. 14, s. 16(9) (which is in force: at 4.3.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/528, art. 2(a), Sch.; at 5.7.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/1958, art. 2(1)(b), Sch. 1 (with transitional provisions in Sch. 12, and as amended by S.I. 1999/3178, art. 3(20), Sch. 20); at 6.9.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/2422, art. 2(c), Sch. 1 (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 14, and as amended by S.I. 1999/3178, art. 3(20), Sch. 20); at 5.10.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/2739, art. 2, Sch. 1 (subject to transitional provisions in Sch. 2); at 18.10.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/2860, art. 2(c), Sch. 1 (subject to transitional provisions in Schs. 16-18, and as amended by S.I. 1999/3178, art. 3(20), Sch. 20); 29.11.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/3178, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 (subject to transitional provisions in s. 5 and Schs. 21-23)

C3

Pt. 1 (ss. 1-84) excluded by S.I. 1998/1506 (N.I. 10), art. 16(9) (which is in force: at 10.3.1999 for specified purposes by S.R. 1999/102, art. 2(a), Sch. Pt. 1; at 5.7.1999 for specified purposes by S.R. 1999/310, art. 2(1)(b), Sch. 1; at 6.9.1999 for specified purposes by S.R. 1999/371, art. 2(b), Sch. 1; at 5.10.1999 for specified purposes by S.R. 1999/407, art. 2(b), Sch.; at 18.10.1999 for specified purposes by S.R. 1999/428, art. 2(b), Sch. 1; at 29.11.1999 for specified purposes by S.R. 1999/472, art. 2(1), Sch. 1)

C4

Pt. 1 excluded (E.W.) (1.9.2000) by 1999 c. 14, ss. 9(4), 14(2); S.I. 2000/2337, art. 2(1)(e)

Pt. 1 excluded (N.I.) (22.11.2000 for specified purposes and otherwise 2.7.2001) by 2000 c. 4, ss. 59, 68, Sch. 7 para. 10 (with s. 66(6)); S.R. 2000/358, art. 2, Sch. Pt. 2; S.R. 2001/141, art 2(1)(c), Sch.

Pt. 1 excluded (E.W.) (2.7.2001) by 2000 c. 19, s. 68, Sch. 7 para. 10(8) (with s. 83(6)); S.I. 2001/1252, art. 2(2)(a)(i)

C5

Pt. 1: specified provisions applied (with modifications) (N.I.) (28.4.2002) by Labour Relations Agency Arbitration Scheme Order (Northern Ireland) 2002 (S.R. 2002/120), art. 3, Sch.

C6

Pt. 1 excluded (22.2.2005 for specified purposes and otherwise 6.4.2005) by Pensions Appeal Tribunals Act 1943 (c. 39), s. 6D(8) (as inserted by Armed Forces (Pensions and Compensation) Act 2004 (c. 32), ss. 5, 8, Sch. 1 para. 4); S.I. 2005/356, art. 2, {Sch. 1, 2}

C7

Pt. 1 excluded (N.I.) (1.3.2005 for specified purposes and otherwise 1.4.2005) by Health and Personal Social Services (Quality, Improvement and Regulation) (Northern Ireland) Order 2003 (S.I. 2003/431 (N.I. 9)), art. 44(4); S.R. 2005/44, arts. 2, 3, Schs. 1, 2 (subject to arts. 4-13)

C8

Pt. 1 excluded (N.I.) (1.9.2005) by The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/1117 (N.I. 6)), art. 23(5) (with arts. 46, 47); S.R. 2005/336, art. 2, Sch.

C9

Pt. 1 excluded (N.I.) (1.9.2005) by The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (S.I. 1996/274 (N.I. 1)), art. 23(4) (as substituted by The Special Educational Needs and Disability (Northern Ireland) Order 2005 (S.I. 2005/1117 (N.I. 6)), Sch. 5 para. 7(4); S.R. 2005/336, art. 2, Sch.)

C10

Pt. 1: power to exclude or restrict conferred (19.9.2007) by virtue of Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 (c. 15), ss. 22, 148, Sch. 5 para. 14; S.I. 2007/2709, art. 2(i)

C11

Pt. 1 excluded (3.11.2008) by The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Social Entitlement Chamber) Rules 2008 (S.I. 2008/2685), rule 3(2)

C12

Pt. 1 excluded (3.11.2008) by The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (War Pensions and Armed Forces Compensation Chamber) Rules 2008 (S.I. 2008/2686), rule 3(2)

C13

Pt. 1 excluded (3.11.2008) by The Tribunal Procedure (Upper Tribunal) Rules 2008 (S.I. 2008/2698), rule 3(2)

C14

Pt. 1 excluded (3.11.2008) by The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008 (S.I. 2008/2699), rule 3(2)

C15

Pt. 1 excluded (1.4.2009) by The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Tax Chamber) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/273), rule 3(2)

C16

Pt. 1 excluded (1.9.2009) by The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (General Regulatory Chamber) Rules 2009 (S.I. 2009/1976), rule 3(2)

C17

Pt. 1 excluded (4.8.2010 for specified purposes and otherwise 1.10.2010) by Equality Act 2010 (c. 15), ss. 116(3), 216(3), Sch. 17 para. 6(6); S.I. 2010/1736, art. 2, Sch.; S.I. 2010/1966, art. 2; S.I. 2010/2317, art. 2(9)(k)(i) (with art. 15)

C18

Pt. 1 excluded (1.7.2013) by The Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Property Chamber) Rules 2013 (S.I. 2013/1169), art. 1(1) rule 4(2) (with art. 2)

C19

Pt. 1 excluded (2.11.2020 for specified purposes, 1.9.2021 in so far as not already in force) by Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 (anaw 2), ss. 75(4), 100(3); S.I. 2020/1182, reg. 3(1)(i); S.I. 2021/373, art. 8(g)

C20

Pt. 1 modified (24.3.2022) by Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022 (c. 12), s. 31(4), Sch. 1 paras. 1, 2 (with s. 30, Sch. 1 para. 3)