This Practice Note considers how to serve an arbitration Claim form issued in the courts of England and Wales (England and English are used as for convenience) on defendants within and outside the jurisdiction.

While the English courts tend to take a non-interventionist approach to arbitration proceedings, there are occasions when the parties to an arbitration (or the arbitral tribunal) may wish to make an application to the English court—see Practice Note: AA 1996—court powers in support of arbitration—an introduction for a overview of the court’s powers in support of arbitration proceedings under the Arbitration Act 1996 (AA 1996).

All arbitration claims and applications under the AA 1996 are made using an arbitration claim form (Form N8) and issued in accordance with CPR 8 and CPR 62 (and the associated practice direction), with the exception of applications under AA 1996, s 9 (stay of court proceedings in favour of arbitration), which are made pursuant to the ordinary application process in the existing court proceedings (CPR 23). For general