Legal views – Page 106
-
Comment
A night to regret
What happened to my mate Trevor after the Christmas party? He seemed so chatty, so relaxed. And a few hours later he was banged up in a police cell …
-
Comment
Studying the form
This year the JCT caused quite a stir when it decided to revamp its entire suite of contracts (see ¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ, 24 June), but it’s the changes to the design contracts – Design and Build Contract and the Intermediate Contract with Design – that have created most interest.
-
Comment
Easy money
Loopholes in the NEC’s target contract mean contractors can use their old tricks to make a profit rather than taking a share of any project savings …
-
Comment
A painful case
Sometimes contractors just get fed up with a job, and it grinds to a halt. When something like that happened to Birse, it got sacked. Then it got the bill …
-
Comment
Listen, this is important
Delay analysis is too pivotal to disputes to remain shrouded in mystery or to be left to the experts. Here’s what you must understand about the four main techniques …
-
Comment
Sort out your papers
The laws on illegal workers are set to get tougher, so make sure your procedures are watertight now
-
Comment
You’re mistaken, m’lud
In Carillion vs Devonport, the Court of Appeal was right to back an adjudicator’s decision to award interest, but in doing so it made some unhelpful comments …
-
Comment
People who care
A faulty load transfer platform caused a block of luxury flats to sink. The consulting engineer didn’t design the platform, but could it be liable for the problem?
-
Comment
Dangerous liaisons
This week we have two industry reports that reveal contractors’ cavalier attitude to risk, starting with what industry executives will do to secure work …
-
Comment
I’m feeling a bit fuzzy
Fuzzy-edge disease’ strikes when a contract does not clearly allocate design responsibilities. Emcor Drake & Scull tried to inoculate itself, but it got caught out
-
Comment
Events, dear boy
New rules on compensation events in the third edition of the New Engineering Contract mean it is fraught with difficulties for the unwary employer
-
Comment
Drop the dead duck
A collapsed roof at a superstore started a chain of events that demonstrates the foolishness of risking indemnity costs when a claim looks certain to fail
-
Comment
Behind the veil
This is a murky tale of one man, three companies and a lot of fly-tipping. It also illustrates how the courts will look at who truly controls a company …
-
Comment
Suit yourself
The JCT has embraced the digital age with a service promising quick, clean documents that are precisely tailored to the job they cover
-
Comment
Cold comfort
This week’s energy special continues in the legal pages, and to kick us off we have a severe weather warning from ¾«¶«Ó°ÊÓ’s answer to Michael Fish
-
Comment
Consider the evidence
After an accident such as Hatfield, prosecutors come under pressure to launch a case. But too often they go ahead without having a leg to stand on
-
Comment
Handled with care
A new accreditation scheme is offering training and indemnity insurance to construction professionals taking on the vital role of asbestos inspectors
-
Comment
On being naughty
Is this a cautionary tale of an innocent subcontractor hounded by the big bad tax man? Or was its ‘minor and technical’ infraction actually something more?
-
Comment
Cut to the quick
Continuing from last week: you may not have time to examine every line in a contract, so here are key clauses you need to spot and the potential traps to avoid