Since it came into force on 31 January 1997 the Arbitration Act 1996 has generally been welcomed by users and practitioners in the construction industry. It has fulfilled expectations that it would provide a user-friendly and practical basis of resolving disputes arising from construction contracts in a fair, expeditious and economical way. In doing so it has generated a modest volume of case law that has demonstrated the excellence of the Act's provisions and its drafting. Since the Fourth Edition of this book appeared in 1997 the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 with its Scheme for Construction Contracts Regulations 1998 have come into force, as have the Civil Procedure Rules 1998, both of which affect the resolution of disputes arising from construction contracts. Case law has arisen from the Construction Act, and from the House of Lords' judgment in the Beaufort Developments case, overturning the much-criticised judgment of the Court of Appeal in Crouch. In this Fifth Edition of an established text the author deals with each stage of an arbitration, explaining in practical terms the procedures to be adopted in avoiding disputes and in dealing with them efficiently when they do arise. It features over 20 specimen arbitration documents and includes the full text of the Act. It also covers several important developments in case law affecting construction arbitrations, and refers to the introduction and case law arising from adjudication under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996. Arbitration Practice in Construction Contracts......Page 1 Contents......Page 7 Foreword......Page 11 Preface to the fifth edition......Page 15 1.2 Definition......Page 19 1.3 Legal framework......Page 20 1.4 English law of arbitration......Page 21 1.5 Advantages of arbitration......Page 24 1.6 Disadvantages of arbitration......Page 27 2.2 Definition......Page 32 2.6 Stay of court proceedings......Page 33 2.7 Procedural matters......Page 34 2.8 Arbitration agreements in standard forms of contract......Page 36 3.3 Appointment procedure......Page 57 3.4 Qualifications of the arbitrator......Page 59 3.5 Terms of the arbitrator’s appointment......Page 61 3.6 Supplying vacancies......Page 62 4.2 Power of arbitrator to rule on own jurisdiction......Page 63 4.4 Power of court to remove the arbitrator......Page 64 4.6 Death of the arbitrator or of the appointing authority......Page 65 4.7 Power to conduct the proceedings......Page 66 5.2 English law......Page 73 5.3 The preliminary meeting......Page 74 5.5 Statements of case......Page 86 5.6 Amendments to statements of case......Page 88 5.7 Further and better particulars......Page 89 5.10 Privilege......Page 90 5.11 Transcript of the hearing......Page 91 5.13 Conduct of the interlocutory stages......Page 92 5.14 Preliminary questions of law......Page 93 5.15 Small claims......Page 94 6.3 Kinds of evidence......Page 96 6.4 Admissibility......Page 100 6.6 Proofs of evidence......Page 101 6.8 Burden and standard of proof......Page 102 7.2 Attendance......Page 104 7.4 Challenges to arbitrator’s jurisdiction......Page 105 7.6 Procedure......Page 106 8.2 Procedure......Page 112 8.3 Types of award......Page 116 8.4 Format of the award......Page 118 8.5 Notification of the award......Page 126 8.6 Correction of accidental errors......Page 127 8.7 Additional awards......Page 128 9.2 Statutory provisions......Page 129 9.3 Basis of award of costs......Page 130 9.4 Offers to settle......Page 132 9.5 Failure to award costs......Page 134 9.6 Determination of recoverable costs......Page 135 9.7 Arbitrator’s fees and expenses......Page 136 9.8 Interest on costs......Page 137 10.2 Enforcement......Page 138 10.3 Challenges to the award......Page 139 11.2 Contract documents......Page 143 11.3 Basic contract law......Page 146 11.4 The construction period: records......Page 150 11.5 Claims......Page 152 11.6 Adjudication......Page 153 11.7 Disputes......Page 158 11.9 Choice of advocate......Page 159 11.10 Offers to settle......Page 160 Appendices......Page 163 A Specimen documents:......Page 165 SD/1 Ad hoc arbitration agreement......Page 166 SD/2 Application for stay of court proceedings......Page 167 SD/3 Exclusion agreement......Page 168 SD/4 Notice to refer and notice to concur......Page 169 SD/5 Application to President to appoint an arbitrator......Page 170 SD/6 Notice of appointment......Page 171 SD/7 Terms of appointment......Page 172 SD/8 Agenda for preliminary meeting......Page 173 SD/9 Procedural directions......Page 176 SD/10 Statement of claim......Page 179 SD/11 Statement of defence......Page 181 SD/12 Statement of reply......Page 183 SD/13 Scott schedule......Page 184 SD/ 14 Directions letter: small claim......Page 185 SD/15 Proof of evidence......Page 188 SD/16 Agreed award......Page 190 SD/17 Award save as to costs......Page 192 SD/18 Final award......Page 197 SD/19 Notification of award......Page 199 SD/20 Part 36 offer......Page 200 SD/21 Letter of intent......Page 201 B The Arbitration Act 1996......Page 203 C The Arbitration Act 1950: Part II......Page 253 D The Scheme for Construction Contracts (England and Wales) Regulations 1998......Page 257 E The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999......Page 269 F The Unfair Arbitration Agreements (Specified Amount) Order 1999......Page 279 1: Base rates......Page 281 2 Simple interest at 2% above base rate......Page 282 3: Interest at 2% above base rate compounded monthly......Page 283 4: Use of interest tables......Page 287 Bibliography......Page 290 Table of Cases......Page 291 Index......Page 293
Since it came into force on 31 January 1997 the Arbitration Act 1996 has generally been welcomed by users and practitioners in the construction industry. It has fulfilled expectations that it would provide a user-friendly and practical basis of resolving disputes arising from construction contracts in a fair, expeditious and economical way. In doing so it has generated a modest volume of case law that has demonstrated the excellence of the Act's provisions and its drafting.
Since the Fourth Edition of this book appeared in 1997 the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 with its Scheme for Construction Contracts Regulations 1998 have come into force, as have the Civil Procedure Rules 1998, both of which affect the resolution of disputes arising from construction contracts. Case law has arisen from the Construction Act, and from the House of Lords' judgment in the Beaufort Developments case, overturning the much-criticised judgment of the Court of Appeal in Crouch.
In this Fifth Edition of an established text the author deals with each stage of an arbitration, explaining in practical terms the procedures to be adopted in avoiding disputes and in dealing with them efficiently when they do arise. It features over 20 specimen arbitration documents and includes the full text of the Act. It also covers several important developments in case law affecting construction arbitrations, and refers to the introduction and case law arising from adjudication under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996.
