The term "court" means a circuit court or general district court of the Commonwealth having jurisdiction over the subject matter of the controversy.
§ 8.01-581.014.Court; jurisdiction.
Chapter 21. Arbitration and Award · Article 2. Uniform Arbitration Act · Last amended 2016 · Last verified July 16, 2026
In one sentenceFor purposes of Virginia’s Uniform Arbitration Act, the word “court” means whichever circuit court or general district court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of the particular controversy being arbitrated, so applications, hearings, and awards this article governs route through an ordinary trial-level court rather than any specialized tribunal.
Full Text of § 8.01-581.014
Plain-English Summary
A short definitional section can carry a lot of weight, and this one does. Every other section in the Uniform Arbitration Act article talks about applying to “the court” — to compel arbitration, appoint an arbitrator, confirm an award, and so on. This section pins down exactly what that word means: a circuit court or a general district court, whichever one has subject-matter jurisdiction over the underlying controversy.
That framing keeps arbitration-related litigation inside Virginia’s ordinary trial courts rather than routing it to some specialized forum. Whether the case belongs in circuit court or general district court still turns on the usual jurisdictional rules for the type of dispute involved — this section confirms that whichever one has that authority is the “court” the rest of the article is talking about.
Frequently Asked Questions
What courts qualify as “the court” under Virginia’s Uniform Arbitration Act?
A circuit court or a general district court of the Commonwealth, whichever has jurisdiction over the subject matter of the controversy.
Does this section create a special arbitration court?
No, it identifies which of the Commonwealth’s existing trial courts — circuit or general district — has authority over a given arbitration matter, based on subject-matter jurisdiction.
How is this definition different from the courts named in § 8.01-577?
Section 8.01-577 refers to entering an agreement of record in “any circuit court” or “any general district court,” while this section defines “court,” for the Uniform Arbitration Act article, as whichever of those courts has jurisdiction over the subject matter.
Does subject-matter jurisdiction still control which court handles an arbitration application?
Yes, this section defines “court” by reference to subject-matter jurisdiction over the controversy, so the ordinary jurisdictional rules for that type of dispute still determine which court is proper.
Why does the article need to define “court” separately?
Because the rest of the article repeatedly directs applications, hearings, and orders “to the court,” this section makes clear that term means the circuit or general district court with jurisdiction over the controversy’s subject matter.
Amendment History
1986, c. 614; 1995, c. 342; 2016, c. 181.
Source & verification. Section text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Code of Virginia, published by the
Code of Virginia, Virginia Division of Legislative Automated Systems. Last verified July 16, 2026.
· Official source
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