Commercial Rent (Coronavirus) Act 2022

20 Oral hearings

(1) An oral hearing must be held where either or both of the parties make a request to the arbitrator.

(2) An oral hearing must be held within the period of 14 days beginning with the day on which the arbitrator receives a request under subsection (1).

(3) The period in subsection (2) may be extended—

(a) by agreement between the parties, or

(b) by the arbitrator where the arbitrator considers that it would be reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.

(4) Where both parties request an oral hearing, the parties are jointly and severally liable to pay the hearing fees in advance.

(5) Where one of the parties requests an oral hearing, that party must pay the hearing fees in advance.

(6) When the arbitrator makes an award under section 13 or 14, the arbitrator must (subject to subsection (7)) also make an award requiring the other party to reimburse the applicant for half the hearing fees.

(7) The general rule in subsection (6) does not apply if the arbitrator considers it more appropriate in all the circumstances to award a different proportion (which may be zero).

(8) An oral hearing must be held in public unless the parties agree otherwise.