Limitation Period
The period within which legal proceedings must be commenced. In tort and simple contract claims, generally 6 years from the date the cause of action accrued (Limitation Act 1980, ss.2 and 5). Personal injury claims must generally be brought within 3 years. Expiry does not extinguish the underlying right, but gives the defendant a defence to the claim.
Independent editorial summary — not the official statute text. Read the official version on legislation.gov.uk.
The two general limbs of the six-year rule are set out in near-identical, deliberately parallel wording. For tort claims: '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.' For claims in simple contract: '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.' Both count from the same trigger — accrual of the cause of action — though what counts as accrual can differ by type of claim.
The Ministry of Justice's own Civil Procedure Rules glossary confirms how limitation actually operates in litigation: a limitation period is 'The period within which a person who has a right to claim against another person must start court proceedings to establish that right. The expiry of the period may be a defence to the claim.' That phrasing matters — limitation is a defence the defendant can raise, not an automatic bar that prevents a claim being issued at all, and different, often shorter, limitation periods apply outside the general tort and contract rules, most notably the 3-year period for personal injury claims.
Related terms
Official sources
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