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Commercial Arbitration Act 2017
25Default of a party
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25 Default of a party
(Model Law art 25)
(1) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, without showing sufficient
cause—
(a) if the claimant fails to communicate the claimant’s statement of
claim in accordance with section 23 (1)—the arbitral tribunal
may terminate the proceedings; or
(b) if the respondent fails to communicate the respondent’s
statement of defence in accordance with section 23 (1)—the
arbitral tribunal may continue the proceedings without treating
such failure in itself as an admission of the claimant’s
allegations; or
(c) if any party fails to appear at a hearing or to produce
documentary evidence—the arbitral tribunal may continue the
proceedings and make the award on the evidence before it.
(2) Unless otherwise agreed by the parties, if a party fails to do any other
thing necessary for the proper and expeditious conduct of the
arbitration the arbitral tribunal may—
(a) if satisfied that there has been inordinate and inexcusable delay
on the part of the claimant in pursuing the claim—make an
award dismissing the claim or may give directions (with or
without conditions) for the speedy determination of the claim;
or
(b) if without sufficient cause a party fails to comply with any order
or direction of the arbitral tribunal—make an order requiring the
party to comply with the terms of the earlier order or direction
within the period specified by the arbitral tribunal (a peremptory
order).
Part 5 Conduct of arbitral proceedings
Section 26
page 32 Commercial Arbitration Act 2017
Effective: 02/07/19
R3
02/07/19
Authorised by the ACT Parliamentary Counsel—also accessible at www.legislation.act.gov.au
(3) If a party fails to comply with a peremptory order, the arbitral tribunal
may do any of the following:
(a) direct that the party in default is not to be entitled to rely on any
allegation or material which was the subject matter of the
peremptory order;
(b) draw such adverse inferences from the failure to comply as the
circumstances justify;
(c) proceed to an award on the basis of any materials that have been
properly provided to the arbitral tribunal;
(d) without limiting section 33B (4), in making an award give any
direction or order that it thinks fit as to the payment of the costs
of the arbitration incurred in consequence of the
non-compliance.
Note Subsection (1) is substantially the same as the Model Law, art 25. There
are no equivalents to the other provisions of the section in the Model Law.