The move follows in the wake of recommendations made by a Construction Industry Board report to Raynsford, published in February.
Changes include preventing companies sidestepping adjudication by writing deterrent clauses into contracts, one of the CIB's key recommendations.
This practice is adopted by firms that do not wish to use adjudication but cannot ban the process, as it is a statutory right.
The CIB's Chris Vickers welcomed the move. He said: "I particularly welcome the commitment to ensure that each party bears its own costs. I hope that the whole industry will now commit to make sure that adjudication works as it is intended, and even more efficiently." Other amendments made by Raynsford provide for better guidance to adjudicators and adjudication parties and improved training for adjudicators.
Raynsford said the changes aimed to keep the process quick, simple and cheap. He said: "I want to improve the guidance to adjudicators and, where necessary, amend the scheme to ensure that the original intentions of the legislation are fulfilled." The CIB is expected to undertake a further review of adjudication in two years.
