Civil Law

Limitation Period

The maximum time within which a legal proceeding must be initiated after the cause of action arises, beyond which the claim generally becomes time-barred.

Different types of claims have different limitation periods prescribed by law — for instance, contract disputes typically have a longer window than some other claims — and once this period lapses, the right to sue is generally lost, regardless of how strong the underlying claim might be.

Courts can, in limited circumstances, condone a delay if sufficient cause is shown for not filing within time, but this isn't something a claimant should rely on as a matter of course.

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