When there is a hearing
After the statement of claim is served, the respondent chooses how to respond. If they contest the claim, every later step is a live video hearing with the arbitrator. If they agree, one short video call confirms the agreement and the award follows. If they stay silent after reminders and a final notice, the arbitrator may decide on the documents.
The arbitrator fixes the date and time. Every party is told by the usual channels, and the hearing appears on the case page.
The five phases
| Phase | What happens | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Say your side | Each side states its case in brief. |
| 2 | Admit or deny | The respondent says which parts of the claim are admitted and which are denied. |
| 3 | Interim | Held only if someone has asked for interim relief (s.17). |
| 4 | Argument | The parties argue the case on the record. |
| 5 | Reply to argument | Each side answers the other’s argument. The arbitrator then moves to the award. |
The phases run in order, each in its own meeting. A party can ask to move a hearing, or ask for an oral hearing, from the portal. The arbitrator decides.
Joining
- Sign in: respondents on the portal, the client and the arbitrator on their own accounts.
- Open the hearing from the case page. The Join button opens 10 minutes before the start and closes 15 minutes after the planned end.
- Allow the browser to use your camera and microphone. The hearing runs in the browser; nothing to install.
Use an up-to-date browser on a phone or computer, with a steady data connection. Headphones help. Find a quiet place where nobody else can hear.
Fairness rules
- Both sides, always. A hearing cannot be booked unless the arbitrator, the client and every respondent in the case are invited.
- The arbitrator runs the room, may record the hearing, and ends it. If a party does not attend, the arbitrator decides what follows. The administrator’s staff never decide.
- Representation. A respondent may have a lawyer or another representative, appointed from the portal.
If you cannot join on the day, tell the case team before the start, or ask for a call-back from the portal. Not attending can let the case go ahead without you.