Arbitration by Adjudicator
Section 48: Referral for arbitration by tied pub tenants
303.The aim of this section is to provide a statutory right of arbitration for a tied pub tenant against a pub-owning business. A tenant may refer a dispute for arbitration by the Pubs Code Adjudicator if it relates to an allegation that the business has failed to comply with the Pubs Code.
304.Subsections (3) and (4) provide that certain provisions in the Pubs Code may be stated to be arbitrable and certain provisions stated to be not arbitrable. The intention is that a tenant would be allowed to refer to arbitration only on key points of the Code. If the Code does not differentiate between arbitrable and non-arbitrable provisions, then a tied tenant may refer a dispute as to whether a pub-owning business has failed to comply with any provision of the Code to the Adjudicator (subsection (5)).
305.Subsection (5) specifies that where a tied pub tenant refers a dispute to arbitration, the Adjudicator has to act as arbitrator or appoint another person to do so. In most circumstances, the Adjudicator is expected to arbitrate such disputes. The Adjudicator could appoint another person where a conflict of interest may exist (for example, where the Adjudicator has previously advised on or investigated an issue which is relevant to the dispute) or where the Adjudicator does not have enough time to act as the arbitrator.
Section 49: Timing of referral for arbitration by tied pub tenants
306.This section sets out the period within which a tied tenant may refer a dispute to the Adjudicator. Subsection (2) specifies that a tied tenant may not refer a dispute to the Adjudicator until a period of 21 days has passed after the date on which the tenant notified the pub-owning business, in writing, of the alleged breach of the Code. The 21-day period is to allow the parties a reasonable time to try to resolve the dispute at this point without the need to resort to arbitration.
307.The exception to subsection (2) is where a tenant alleges that the pub-owning business has failed to produce a parallel rent assessment within the period specified by the Adjudicator (subsection (3)). In that instance, the tied tenant may refer the dispute to the Adjudicator no earlier than the day after the date by which the Adjudicator specified the assessment should be provided.
308.No dispute may be referred to the Adjudicator for arbitration once 4 months have elapsed since the earliest date it could have been referred (subsection (4)).
Section 50: Arbitration commenced by pub-owning businesses
309.This section applies where a pub-owning business has commenced arbitration under an arbitration agreement (for example one contained in a tenancy agreement), where the matter relates to a dispute which the tenant could have referred to the Adjudicator under section 48. The effect of the section is to require (in circumstances described in subsection (3)) the Adjudicator to arbitrate a dispute which relates to a breach of the Pubs Code where the arbitration has been commenced by the pub-owning business under an arbitration agreement.
310.Subsection (4) requires the Adjudicator to arbitrate a dispute (or appoint another person to do so) if the parties agree under the arbitration agreement that the Adjudicator should be the arbitrator, or if the tenant wishes the Adjudicator to arbitrate (even if the pub-owning business does not want the Adjudicator to be appointed to arbitrate).
311.If the tenant wishes the Adjudicator to arbitrate, but the business does not agree, the tenant must give notice as set out in subsections (5) to (7). The tenant must notify the pub-owning business and the Adjudicator in writing within 21 days of the arbitration having been commenced by the pub-owning business.
312.Subsection (6) sets out the time limit for giving a notice where, under an arbitration agreement, a third party has been charged with appointing the arbitrator but the tenant wishes the arbitrator to be the Adjudicator . In these circumstances the tenant must inform the pub-owning business and the Adjudicator of this within 21 days of being notified of the appointment of the proposed arbitrator by the third party.
Section 51: Arbitration: supplementary
313.Subsections (1) and (2) provide that the tenant must pay a fee for making a referral for arbitration to the Adjudicator under section 48 or where the tenant has given notice that the Adjudicator should be appointed, as mentioned in section 50(3)(b). The fee must be specified in regulations. Subsection (3) specifies that the regulations may provide for the fee to be returned to the tenant in certain specified circumstances
314.Except where specified otherwise in these provisions, subsection (5) requires that any arbitration carried out by the Adjudicator or by someone appointed by the Adjudicator must be conducted in accordance with the rules issued by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators or the rules of another dispute resolution body specified by the arbitrator.
315.The pub-owning business that is party to the arbitration is required by subsection (6) to pay the fees and expenses of the arbitrator except where the arbitrator considers the referral made by the tenant to be vexatious.
316.Subsection (7) states that the Secretary of State may by regulations make provision about how much the tenant should pay towards the costs of an arbitration. Costs of an arbitration include the pub-owning business’s costs as well as the tenant’s own costs. The regulations may provide that the costs faced by the tenant can be limited and the specific circumstances in which the tenant may be required to pay costs above that limit.
Section 52: Information about arbitration
317.This section enables the Adjudicator to obtain information on an arbitration carried out by an alternative arbitrator appointed by the Adjudicator. This is designed to help the Adjudicator carry out its functions, such as preparing annual reports and providing advice and guidance on the Pubs Code. Subsection (2) states that the Adjudicator may enforce this requirement through civil proceedings.