Limitation Act 1980

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Not to be confused with that monstrous eulogy to Schadenfreude, the statue of limitations.

The Limitation Act 1980, known fondly as the statute of limitations, is a piece of UK legislation dealing with limitations on legal claims under contracts, tort and so on.

• Tort: 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 2.
• Contract: Claims on a simple contract are limited to six years from the date the cause of action accrued: Section 5.
• Defamation and malicious falsehood: no such action shall be brought after the expiration of one year from the date on which the cause of action accrued.

See the act for more tedious detail about what happens in the case of personal injury or death.

Lots of good fun, particularly in the area of latent defects in the construction of houses, for forensic examination of precisely when a cause of action accrues, of course. The Limitation Act 1980 was the subject of a 320 page law commission monograph in 2015 — knock yourself out — so clearly someone sees the opportunity to change the law.

See also

• Text of the Limitation Act
• Statue of limitations