Covid-19 And Arbitration Proceedings

Legal Notice 65 of 2020, entitled 'Closure of the Courts of Justice Order, 2020' and Legal Notice 61 of 2020, entitled 'Epidemics and Infectious Disease (Suspension of Legal and Judicial Times) Order, 2020', were published in recent days to suspend all court activity, including the filing of judicial acts in the court registry, barring urgent cases or cases where the court, upon a request by one of the parties, decides otherwise, purportedly applies to all "courts".

The said Legal Notices refer to the closure of and the running of legal and judicial times applicable to proceedings before the 'courts'.  The  term "courts" is defined to include "any court [...] and also includes any tribunal established by law, and any boards, commissions, committees or other entities before which any proceedings are heard or procedures undertaken which are subject to legal or administrative time limits for filing any claims, defences or other acts".