Opinion – Page 661
-
Comment
New whines for old
Rules for civil litigation have been completely rewritten and yet it seems unlikely that they will do much to reduce the cost of claims against consultants or, indeed, that proceedings will be so different.
-
Comment
Summing up. Number 31 – Privity of contract
Michael Conroy Harris continues Berwin Leighton's guide to the concepts of construction law.
-
Comment
What can they get you on?
Contractual parties are free to exclude liability as they think fit. But to avoid being caught out, they must define the exclusion as they want it.
-
Comment
Warranted interference
The contracts bill introduced in the House of Lords late last year will mean that collateral warranties are no longer needed in construction contracts in England and Wales but the Scots aren't rid of them yet.
-
Comment
Why we need new rules
Regulations that cannot keep pace with change are hampering the design team's efforts to Eganise itself.
-
Comment
Get what you pay for
Lowest price wins is still the norm in construction, but all that is about to change.
-
Comment
Loose change
First person Construction is embracing change. So why is one industry body opposing a move to streamline the building process?
-
Comment
Passing the buck
Second opinion Delegating a problem is all very well, but, at some point, you must take responsibility for its solution.
-
Comment
Splashing out
Other countries house their parliaments with generosity and panache. But here we begrudge such extravagance.
-
Comment
Over-exclusive deals
Small contractors don't want the private finance initiative to be scrapped they just want to be able to take part in it.
-
Comment
Here we go again
First person Faced with a combative workforce and a fast-approaching deadline, how should the government handle the Jubilee Line?
-
Comment
Shaky ground
When was the last time somebody saved you from an almighty clanger? It happens in business too, but don't rely on it. If watching your back is not spelled out in the contract you can come a cropper.
-
Comment
Law inaction
In the past a lot of disputes were allowed to grow because the parties particularly the clients' advisers were lazy. So, new adjudication should work because it brings time pressure to bear shouldn't it?
-
Comment
Thinking the unthinkable
Insured? Of course you are. Any sane contractor must be. But what happens if your insurer goes into liquidation. How are you fixed then?
-
Comment
Clash points
Stakeholder clauses, which require money paid as a result of an adjudicator's decision to be held by a third party, are legal and offer protection to parties nervous about new adjudication.
-
Comment
Clash points
Au contraire. Stakeholder accounts take a hatchet to the Construction Act's explicit payment rules, and its implicit intention of keeping the money flowing through the system.
-
Comment
Enter the nanny state
First person - No one wants buildings that are dangerous, but you can take health and safety requirements too far.
-
Comment
Cooking with Mace
Can you make a profit from guaranteeing a maximum price? Despite Laing's Cardiff nightmare, Mace's new move suggests you can.
-
Comment
It's good business to talk
Misunderstandings, false assumptions they all cost. Daft really, when a swift chat could sort it out.
-
Comment
Beauty before age
Purists might not like them, but 1960s buildings are part of Britain's architectural heritage and they deserve protection.