Time Limits in Challenging a Tribunal's Jurisdiction

One of the most defining characteristics of arbitration is that an arbitral tribunal's jurisdiction is established by parties' mutual agreement. If a party to the arbitral proceedings believes that a tribunal constituted lacks jurisdiction to conduct the arbitral proceedings, it may challenge the jurisdiction of the tribunal in different ways. Although the concept of kompetenz-kompetenz and the grounds to challenge the Tribunal's jurisdiction are readily accepted in the arbitration community, what parties often fail to observe is the time limit imposed by the relevant laws in bringing such objections. This article aims to examine several main ways of challenging the tribunal's jurisdiction and the applicable time limits in each scenario. The article will then focus on the consequences of a party's failure to adhere to the strict time limits and its effect at the post-award stage. These issues will be considered in the light of case law from different Model law jurisdictions with particular illustrations from the arbitration law of Singapore.