Limitation Act 1980
Sections and provisions with full text and the judgments that cite each one.
Section 1 — Time limits under Part I subject to extension or exclusion under Part II.
Time limits under Part I subject to extension or exclusion under Part II. 1 1 This Part of this Act gives the ordinary time limits for bringing actions of the various classes mentioned in the…
Section 2 — Time limit for actions founded on tort.
Time limit for actions founded on tort. 2 An action founded on tort shall not be brought after the expiration of six years from the date on which the cause of action accrued.
Section 3 — Time limit in case of successive conversions and extinction of title of owner of converted goods.
Time limit in case of successive conversions and extinction of title of owner of converted goods. 3 1 Where any cause of action in respect of the conversion of a chattel has accrued to any person…
Section 4 — Special time limit in case of theft.
Special time limit in case of theft. 4 1 The right of any person from whom a chattel is stolen to bring an action in respect of the theft shall not be subject to the time limits under sections 2 and…
Section 4A — Time limit for actions for defamation or malicious falsehood.
Time limit for actions for defamation or malicious falsehood. 4A The time limit under section 2 of this Act shall not apply to an action for— a libel or slander, or b slander of title, slander of…
Section 4B — Special time limit for certain actions in respect of damage or defects in relation to buildings
Special time limit for certain actions in respect of damage or defects in relation to buildings 4B 1 Where by virtue of a relevant provision a person becomes entitled to bring an action against any…
Section 5 — Time limit for actions founded on simple contract.
Time limit for actions founded on simple contract. 5 An action founded on simple contract shall not be brought after the expiration of six years from the date on which the cause of action accrued.
Section 5A — Additional time limit for actions for damages for late payment of insurance claims
Additional time limit for actions for damages for late payment of insurance claims 5A 1 An action in respect of breach of the term implied into a contract of insurance by section 13A of the Insurance…
Section 6 — Special time limit for actions in respect of certain loans.
Special time limit for actions in respect of certain loans. 6 1 Subject to subsection (3) below, section 5 of this Act shall not bar the right of action on a contract of loan to which this section…
Section 7 — Time limit for actions to enforce certain awards.
Time limit for actions to enforce certain awards. 7 An action to enforce an award, where the submission is not by an instrument under seal, shall not be brought after the expiration of six years from…
Section 8 — Time limit for actions on a specialty.
Time limit for actions on a specialty. 8 1 An action upon a specialty shall not be brought after the expiration of twelve years from the date on which the cause of action accrued. 2 Subsection (1)…
Section 9 — Time limit for actions for sums recoverable by statute.
Time limit for actions for sums recoverable by statute. 9 1 An action to recover any sum recoverable by virtue of any enactment shall not be brought after the expiration of six years from the date on…
Section 10 — Special time limit for claiming contribution.
Special time limit for claiming contribution. 10 1 Where under section 1 of the Civil Liability (Contribution) Act 1978 any person becomes entitled to a right to recover contribution in respect of…
Section 10A — Special time limit for actions by insurers etc in respect of automated vehicles.
Special time limit for actions by insurers etc in respect of automated vehicles. 10A 1 Where by virtue of section 5 of the Automated and Electric Vehicles Act 2018 an insurer or vehicle owner becomes…
Section 10B — Special time limit for actions relating to construction products
Special time limit for actions relating to construction products 10B 1 An action under section 148 of the Building Safety Act 2022 shall not be brought after the expiration of 15 years from the date…
Section 11 — Special time limit for actions in respect of personal injuries.
Special time limit for actions in respect of personal injuries. 11 1 This section applies to any action for damages for negligence, nuisance or breach of duty (whether the duty exists by virtue of a…
Section 11A — Actions in respect of defective products.
Actions in respect of defective products. 11A 1 This section shall apply to an action for damages by virtue of any provision of Part I of the Consumer Protection Act 1987. 2 None of the time limits…
Section 11ZA — Actions in respect of personal injuries attributable to child sexual abuse
Actions in respect of personal injuries attributable to child sexual abuse 11ZA 1 None of the time limits given in the preceding provisions of this Act apply to an action to which this section…
Section 11B — Actions against insurers etc of automated vehicles.
Actions against insurers etc of automated vehicles. 11B 1 None of the time limits given in the preceding provisions of this Act shall apply to an action for damages under section 2 of the Automated…
Section 11ZB — Dismissal of actions in respect of personal injuries attributable to child sexual abuse
Dismissal of actions in respect of personal injuries attributable to child sexual abuse 11ZB 1 This section applies where an action to which section 11ZA applies is brought after the expiration of…
Section 12 — Special time limit for actions under Fatal Accidents legislation.
Special time limit for actions under Fatal Accidents legislation. 12 1 An action under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 shall not be brought if the death occurred when the person injured could no longer…
Section 13 — Operation of time limit under section 12 in relation to different dependants.
Operation of time limit under section 12 in relation to different dependants. 13 1 Where there is more than one person for whose benefit an action under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976 is brought,…
Section 14 — Definition of date of knowledge for purposes of sections 11 to 12 .
Definition of date of knowledge for purposes of sections 11 to 12 . 14 1 Subject to subsections (1A) and (1B) below, in sections 11 and 12 of this Act references to a person’s date of knowledge are…
Section 14A — Special time limit for negligence actions where facts relevant to cause of action are not known at date of accrual.
Special time limit for negligence actions where facts relevant to cause of action are not known at date of accrual. 14A 1 This section applies to any action for damages for negligence, other than one…
Section 14B — Overriding time limit for negligence actions not involving personal injuries.
Overriding time limit for negligence actions not involving personal injuries. 14B 1 An action for damages for negligence, other than one to which section 11 or 11ZA of this Act applies, shall not be…
Section 15 — Time limit for actions to recover land.
Time limit for actions to recover land. 15 1 No action shall be brought by any person to recover any land after the expiration of twelve years from the date on which the right of action accrued to…
Section 16 — Time limit for redemption actions.
Time limit for redemption actions. 16 When a mortgagee of land has been in possession of any of the mortgaged land for a period of twelve years, no action to redeem the land of which the mortgagee…
Section 17 — Extinction of title to land after expiration of time limit.
Extinction of title to land after expiration of time limit. 17 Subject to— a section 18 of this Act; . . . b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . at the expiration of the…
Section 18 — Settled land and land held on trust.
Settled land and land held on trust. 18 1 Subject to section 21(1) and (2) of this Act, the provisions of this Act shall apply to equitable interests in land . . . as they apply to legal estates.…
Section 19 — Time limit for actions to recover rent.
Time limit for actions to recover rent. 19 No action shall be brought, and the power conferred by section 72(1) of the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Act 2007 shall not be exercisable , to recover…
Section 19A — Actions for breach of commonhold duty
Actions for breach of commonhold duty 19A An action in respect of a right or duty of a kind referred to in section 37(1) of the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 (enforcement) shall not be…
Section 20 — Time limit for actions to recover money secured by a mortgage or charge or to recover proceeds of the sale of land.
Time limit for actions to recover money secured by a mortgage or charge or to recover proceeds of the sale of land. 20 1 No action shall be brought to recover— a any principal sum of money secured by…
Section 21 — Time limit for actions in respect of trust property.
Time limit for actions in respect of trust property. 21 1 No period of limitation prescribed by this Act shall apply to an action by a beneficiary under a trust, being an action— a in respect of any…
Section 22 — Time limit for actions claiming personal estate of a deceased person.
Time limit for actions claiming personal estate of a deceased person. 22 Subject to section 21(1) and (2) of this Act— a no action in respect of any claim to the personal estate of a deceased person…
Section 23 — Time limit in respect of actions for an account.
Time limit in respect of actions for an account. 23 An action for an account shall not be brought after the expiration of any time limit under this Act which is applicable to the claim which is the…
Section 24 — Time limit for actions to enforce judgments.
Time limit for actions to enforce judgments. 24 1 An action shall not be brought upon any judgment after the expiration of six years from the date on which the judgment became enforceable. 2 No…
Section 25 — Time limit for actions to enforce advowsons and extinction of title to advowsons.
Time limit for actions to enforce advowsons and extinction of title to advowsons. 25 1 No person shall bring an action to enforce a right to present to or bestow any ecclesiastical benefice as patron…
Section 26 — Administration to date back to death.
Administration to date back to death. 26 For the purposes of the provisions of this Act relating to actions for the recovery of land and advowsons an administrator of the estate of a deceased person…
Section 27 — Cure of defective disentailing assurance.
Cure of defective disentailing assurance. 27 1 This section applies where— a a person entitled in remainder to an entailed interest in any land makes an assurance of his interest which fails to bar…
Section 27A — Actions for recovery of property obtained through unlawful conduct etc.
Actions for recovery of property obtained through unlawful conduct etc. 27A 1 None of the time limits given in the preceding provisions of this Act applies to any proceedings under Chapter 2 of Part…
Section 27AB — Actions to prohibit dealing with property subject to an external request
Actions to prohibit dealing with property subject to an external request 27AB 1 None of the time limits given in the preceding provisions of this Act applies to any proceedings under Part 4A of the…
Section 27B — Actions for recovery of property for purposes of an external order
Actions for recovery of property for purposes of an external order 27B 1 None of the time limits given in the preceding provisions of this Act applies to any proceedings under Chapter 2 of Part 5 of…
Section 27C — Actions for exploitation proceeds orders
Actions for exploitation proceeds orders 27C 1 None of the time limits given in the preceding provisions of this Act applies to proceedings under Part 7 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 (criminal…
Section 27D — Actions relating to the Northern Ireland Troubles
Actions relating to the Northern Ireland Troubles 27D This Act has effect subject to section 43 of the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act 2023.
Section 28 — Extension of limitation period in case of disability.
Extension of limitation period in case of disability. 28 1 Subject to the following provisions of this section, if on the date when any right of action accrued for which a period of limitation is…
Section 28A — Extension for cases where the limitation period is the period under section 14A(4)(b).
Extension for cases where the limitation period is the period under section 14A(4)(b). 28A 1 Subject to subsection (2) below, if in the case of any action for which a period of limitation is…
Section 29 — Fresh accrual of action on acknowledgment or part payment.
Fresh accrual of action on acknowledgment or part payment. 29 1 Subsections (2) and (3) below apply where any right of action (including a foreclosure action) to recover land or an advowson or any…
Section 30 — Formal provisions as to acknowledgments and part payments.
Formal provisions as to acknowledgments and part payments. 30 1 To be effective for the purposes of section 29 of this Act, an acknowledgment must be in writing and signed by the person making it. 2…
Section 31 — Effect of acknowledgment or part payment on persons other than the maker or recipient.
Effect of acknowledgment or part payment on persons other than the maker or recipient. 31 1 An acknowledgment of the title to any land, benefice, or mortgaged personalty by any person in possession…
Section 32 — Postponement of limitation period in case of fraud, concealment or mistake.
Postponement of limitation period in case of fraud, concealment or mistake. 32 1 Subject to subsection (3) subsections (3) below, where in the case of any action for which a period of limitation is…