JCT Contracts and the Construction Playbook – new article available

Following the publication of the Construction Playbook by HM Government in December 2020, JCT has made available an article, ‘JCT Contracts meeting the objectives of the Construction Playbook’, which provides an analysis on how users wishing to comply with the Playbook’s objectives can do so within the current JCT suite of contracts. The Construction Playbook is a guidance document aimed at professionals across public sector bodies who are responsible for the planning and delivery of public work programmes and projects. The document sets out 14…

Karen Kirkham appointed as new JCT chair

Karen Kirkham, who is a solicitor and head of construction at BDB Pitmans LLP, has been appointed the new chair of JCT. She is the first woman to hold the post. Karen has 30 years’ experience working with JCT contracts, advising clients from all sectors of the industry. Her clients include commercial developers, occupiers, charities, local authorities, public infrastructure companies, contractors, sub-contractors, architects, and individual householders. She has been listed as a leading construction legal practitioner in Chambers since 2008 and regularly publishes articles on…

JCT welcomes publication of The Construction Playbook

The publication of the The Construction Playbook, a new guidance document released by the UK Government for public sector procurement, has been welcomed by JCT at their December 10th Council meeting. JCT is listed within the Playbook as one of the key standard form contract providers recommended for use on public sector projects. The Construction Playbook is a guidance document aimed at professionals across public sector bodies who are responsible for the planning and delivery of public work programmes and projects. The 12-chapter document sets…

Data driven culture vital to delivering benefits of Construction 4.0

Establishing a data driven culture that encompasses people, processes, and products is vital to delivering transformative benefits to the construction industry and its clients, said Dr Damien Buie, group technical director, Laing O’Rourke, in delivering the JCT Povey Lecture 2020 on Wednesday 18th November. In his presentation, ‘Safety in numbers – Resilience and Certainty Through Data’, Dr Buie described Laing O’Rourke’s own journey toward Construction 4.0 – delivering a closer alignment with clients, creating a safe working environment, and consistently delivering quality engineering solutions that…

JCT chair to speak on Blockchain and Covid-19 in online events

JCT chair, Richard Saxon CBE, will be giving presentations at two online events, as part of the Construction Blockchain Consortium Annual Conference on Tuesday, 15 October 2020 and a CRS / BISNOW webinar on Tuesday, 03 November 2020. Richard’s presentation at the Construction Blockchain Consortium Annual Conference, forms part of the ‘Smart Legal Contracts for Construction’ session, taking place on Tuesday, 15 October, from 1:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Richard’s paper, “Built Environment as a Service: a Blockchain use case”, will discuss the potential for…

Dr Damien Buie to give JCT Povey Lecture 2020

“Safety in Numbers: Resilience and Certainty Through Data” will be the topic of the 2020 JCT Povey Lecture, presented by Dr Damien Buie, group technical director at Laing O’Rourke. For the first time the JCT Povey Lecture will be streamed as a live-broadcast interactive webinar, with the opportunity for attendees to take part in a Q&A via the streaming interface. Dr Buie’s presentation will show how harnessing the power of data has helped Laing O’Rourke achieve closer alignment to the needs of clients, create a…

JCT launches new online ‘JCT Training’ programme

JCT has developed a new package of online training to sit alongside its traditional, face-to-face courses. The programme aims to provide more flexibility for contract users as restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic remain in place. The new digital JCT Training delivers courses as live broadcast webinars, with the same expert trainers as the physical courses – all either past or current members of the JCT Council or JCT Drafting Sub-Committee. As well as being broadcast live, the courses also provide interactivity for attendees who…

Suite of updated Covid-19 articles available from JCT website

JCT has made available a suite of new articles providing information about the impact of Covid-19 on construction projects and the contractual issues that arise. The new articles, authored by JCT past-chair, Peter Hibberd, follow on from the orginal article, “Coronavirus (Covid-19) and JCT Contracts”, released in April. The latest articles update the original information from the April piece, set out the guidance from Government and the Construction Leadership Council (CLC) and the important contract areas affected, and address the issues that need to be considered for future projects. The suite highlights specific issues that apply to the…

JCT seeks new chair

The Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT), the UK’s premier contract writing body for the construction industry, is looking for a new chair of the JCT Board and Council from March 2021, for a three-year term. JCT is seeking an individual with experience of chairing board meetings comprising various interest groups, with the ability to overcome challenges and to facilitate and achieve collaboration and consensus. The chair’s role is an opportunity to be at the head of an organisation with a unique span of influence across the…

JCT Digital assists construction professionals as lockdown eases

JCT has been adopting a ‘digital first’ approach in the provision of its contract products and services, in an effort to increase the efficiency and flexibility for those working with construction contracts during the lockdown period. As the lockdown eases, its digital services are aimed to assist construction professionals in their return to work. JCT Digital encompasses a range of online services, including JCT On Demand and JCT Construct. JCT On Demand is the digital equivalent of the JCT hardcopy contract. Users are able to…