Practical Law

It’s that time of year again, when everyone starts looking forwards (or backwards) and starts making lists of things that they’d like to see (or not see) happen over the next 12 months or so. Not wanting to be left out, here’s my list. I appreciate not all of these will be achieved in 2012, but that is the beauty of a “wish-list”.

As with other lists I have done, the following are in no particular order:

• The London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to be a success as an event.
• The success stories of the construction of Crossrail and the Olympics’ facilities to be recognised and championed.
• The end of the recession in the UK, Ireland and beyond, with a return to economic growth.
• The adoption of proposed statutory adjudication and payment provisions in Ireland.
• The Olympics legacy projects to be successfully implemented. For example, the athletes’ village to be converted to residential units as part of the regeneration of the Stratford area. I’d also like to see the Olympics’ facilities properly utilised.
• West Ham to be promoted to the Premiership (perhaps with a new stadium…).
• An increased use of fast-track arbitration (like the SCA’s 100-day procedure) in domestic cases as a genuine alternative to (or in conjunction with) adjudication.
• The increased use of London and the UK as an international arbitration centre for construction disputes.
• My first appointment as an adjudicator to a dispute arising under a contract entered into after 1 October 2011.
• The TCC‘s continued robust support of adjudication.
• An effective and independent system of monitoring the performance of adjudicators and nominating bodies (ANBs).
• To understand the new payment provisions!

Happy new year.