There are many competing construction and engineering standard form contracts. Some would say too many. Continue reading
REUTERS | Petar Kujundzic
January 14, 2009
What building contract: competing standard forms or standardisation?
REUTERS | Paulo Whitaker
January 12, 2009
No rules of evidence in adjudication
I was recently asked about the admissibility of a previous adjudicator’s decision in a later adjudication, where the parties were the same, the facts were similar but the project was entirely different. This was a new one for me. Continue reading
REUTERS | Sean Yong
January 5, 2009
“There is nothing quite as wonderful as money, there is nothing quite as beautiful as cash”
In December 2008, at a “prompt payment summit”, the Business Secretary, Lord Mandelson, launched a new Code of Practice aimed at increasing the speed of payments to small companies (SMEs). This summit followed an earlier Government commitment to pay its suppliers within 10 days. Continue reading
REUTERS | Jitendra Prakash
January 5, 2009
“What a year for a new year”
Will the dawn of the new year bring any changes to the construction industry, or will it be more of the same? Continue reading
REUTERS | Stephen Hird
December 22, 2008
Christmas cheer for adjudicators
Mr Justice Coulson’s judgment in Westwood Structural Services Ltd v Blyth Wood Park Management Company Ltd caught my eye last week. The judgment may not rock the legal world to its foundations, but it is uplifting reading for all those involved in adjudication. There are two reasons for this: Continue reading
REUTERS | Ahmad Masood
December 22, 2008
Can Facebook help find your errant plumber?
Sole traders and self-employed individuals are involved in most construction projects. They also have a crucial role in maintaining existing buildings. However, when a dispute arises, these individuals can prove elusive. A recent decision in the Australian courts may have the answer: Facebook. Continue reading
REUTERS | Sukree Sukplang
December 17, 2008
Balfour Beatty v Modus Corovest
We wrote an update on last week’s judgment in Balfour Beatty Construction Northern Limited v Modus Corovest (Blackpool) Limited. Continue reading
REUTERS | Beawiharta
December 17, 2008
Enforcing an adjudicator’s decision: more of the same, or was it?
Coulson J’s judgment last week in Balfour Beatty v Modus Corovest (about the Hounds Hill Shopping Centre in Blackpool) was surprising in a number of ways: Continue reading
REUTERS | Yves Herman
December 8, 2008
Construction Act 1996 changes: a second coming
Like many, I was keen to see what the Government would do once the consultation period for the Construction Contracts Bill ended earlier this year. After all, they didn’t draft a Bill the industry wanted the first time around – it was universally criticised – and were said to be having a second attempt at it.
I found out last week, when the latest amendments had their first reading in the House of Lords. Continue reading
REUTERS | Aly Song
December 3, 2008
The Queen’s Speech: Construction Contracts Bill included
Mixed emotions: love it or hate it, the new Construction Contracts Bill is coming our way. Continue reading
