Limitation Act 1980

Limitation Act 1980

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to consolidate the Limitation Acts 1939 to 1980.
Citation	1980 c. 58
Dates
Royal assent	13 November 1980
Commencement	1 May 1981
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes	Limitation Act 1939 Limitation Act 1975
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended

The Limitation Act 1980 (c. 58)^[1] is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom applicable only to England and Wales. It is a statute of limitations which provides timescales within which action may be taken (by issuing a claim form) for breaches of the law. For example, it provides that breaches of an ordinary contract are actionable for six years after the event^[2] whereas breaches of a deed are actionable for twelve years after the event.^[3] In most cases, after the expiry of the time periods specified in the act the remedies available for breaches are extinguished and no action may be taken in the courts in respect of those breaches.