Judging Panel set for JCT’s most creative student competition to date

The judging panel for the JCT Student Essay Competition 2016 has been announced. The competition offers both support and a creative opportunity for construction students, with a winning prize of £1,000 and runner-up prizes of £250 available. In a change to previous competitions, students are able to present their ideas in any way they wish, be it essay, video, set of designs or drawings, photographic/visual essay – whatever they feel best enables them to present a creative idea on the topics of skills shortages, sustainability,…

Making Good with Rectification Periods

Blog author: Hugh Saunders – 3PB Do you still talk about the “defects liability period”? So do I, and I don’t blame you because the phrase has been around for so long, even though modern JCT contracts use the term “Rectification Period”. Whatever you call it, problems can arise because although the clauses look quite simple there is actually a number of things going on. First, neither term really describes what the contract actually means; second, on the expiry of the Rectification Period, there is…

Over Payment is Careless

Blog author: Peter Hibberd Following Galliford Try vs Estura [2015] EWHC412 (TCC), a case concerning summary judgement to enforce the decision of an adjudicator as to payment of an interim application, there were various comments by observers on whether or not the payer has a right to repayment by the contractor on account of an overpayment and speculation as to whether there should be an express term to this effect. JCT Design and Build Contract 2011 (the contract in that case) makes it absolutely clear…

A Question of Programme

Blog author: Will Cooper – Senior Associate, Clyde & Co LLP The programme produced and maintained by a contractor is one of the most important documents for any works. Of course, the programme’s primary function is to ensure effective sequencing of the various components of the works. However, it has an important secondary role in assessing contractor applications for extensions of time and assisting with the resolution of disputes between contractor and employer, roles not always readily appreciated by contract draftsmen. It is the second…

One Building or Two?

Blog author: Richard Saxon, JCT Chairman The conventional client for a construction project has focussed on achieving success in getting their requirements delivered to quality, on time and on budget. It has been a capital project mind-set, measuring achievement over the period up to the final account. Those clients who own the building tend to change the accounting status and the leadership involved at the end of the capital phase, handing the facility manager, who is rarely involved before this point, a bundle of information…

JCT interviews…Michael Haste

In this series we shed some light on some of the key people who are involved with or give their time to support JCT, to ensure that all areas of the construction industry are represented and can contribute to the development of our contracts. We will look at how our interviewees contribute to JCT specifically, and gain their views on JCT’s wider role within the industry. Michael Haste JCT Director, Royal Institute of British Architects Director, Pascal+Watson Architects Michael Haste is a graduate of the…

JCT Povey Lecture 2015 – UK standard forms of contract: are the cultural and legal concepts of such contracts applicable internationally?

JCT Povey Lecture 2015 “UK standard forms of contract: are the cultural and legal concepts of such contracts applicable internationally?” The Hon. Sir Vivian Ramsey Download Sir Vivian Ramsey’s lecture note in full About the Povey Lecture The JCT Povey Lecture is an annual event at which an eminent person is invited to give their thoughts on significant matters that are relevant to the construction and property industry. The purpose of the lecture is to stimulate thought and encourage ways of continuing to improve the…

Copenhagen

Blog author: Richard Saxon, JCT Chairman Every country has a construction industry unique to itself. Members of each see their way of developing, designing, building and operating buildings as normal and other country’s ways as exotic. Mostly however, members don’t look outside their own construction culture. I have often thought that a good module for courses in professional education would be ‘International Comparative Construction’, teaching students to question how and why things are done the way they are at home. Japan, Germany, the USA, France…

JCT interviews…Roger Squire

In this series we shed light on some of the key people who are involved with or give their time to support JCT,to ensure that all areas of the construction industry are represented and can contribute to the development of our contracts. We will look at how our interviewees contribute to JCT specifically, and gain their views on JCT’s wider role within the industry. Roger Squire JCT Director, British Property Federation Limited After reading Land Economics at Cambridge, Roger worked in South Africa for 7…

Making building contracts work with BIM

Blog authors: Tom Pemberton and Andrew Croft – Beale & Company Solicitors LLP Following the UK government’s well publicised plans to use Building Information Modelling (“BIM”) on all centrally procured public sector projects by April 2016 there has been a real increase in the use of BIM in both the private and public sector. In 2011, the JCT issued its Public Sector Supplement, including amendments facilitating the use of BIM. These amendments, and associated guidance issued by the JCT, were the earliest example of drafting…