Limitation of Actions Consultation - Law Commission

(2) the Law Reform (Limitation of Actions, etc) Act 1954 provides that causes
of action accruing before the Act was passed, but not yet time-barred, are
to be governed by the longer of the old and new limitation periods.
Otherwise, it does not apply to such actions;
(3) the Limitation Act 1963 has considerable retrospective effect, applying to
causes of action accruing before it was passed, save those where a final
order or judgment was given before the Act was passed; 108
(4) the Limitation Act 1975 applies the same approach as the 1963 Act: that is,
it applies retrospectively to actions arising before its commencement,
though not to actions where a final order or judgment was given before the
Act commenced;
(5) the Limitation Act 1980 does not apply to actions barred by the Limitation
Act 1939 before the commencement of the Act or to actions which have
been begun before its commencement.
(6) the main limitation provisions of the Latent Damage Act 1986 (that is,
sections 1 and 2) do not apply to actions barred by the Limitation Acts
1939 or 1980 before its commencement or to actions begun before its
commencement. Subject to that, the Act has effect in relation to causes of
action accruing before, as well as after, it came into effect.
108 Though, as noted above, Arnold v CEGB [1988] AC 228 has limited this.
178