A Practical Guide to Construction Adjudication

James Pickavance is a partner in the construction and engineering practice of Eversheds LLP, specialising in dispute resolution. He has experience of all forms of dispute resolution, in particular contractual and statutory adjudication, domestic and international arbitration, expert determination, mediation and litigation, and advises public bodies, governments, international corporations and private clients on domestic and international, single or multi-jurisdictional disputes across a range of industry sectors in over 20 jurisdictions.

Foreword v Acknowledgements vii Part I The United Kingdom 1 Introduction 3 1.1 Overview 3 1.2 Background to statutory adjudication in the UK 4 1.3 Statutory adjudication regimes 5 1.4 Use of case law in this part 6 2 Adjudication in a nutshell 9 3 Deciding to adjudicate 13 3.1 Overview 13 3.2 Do I have a claim? 14 3.3 Is it worth it? 15 3.4 Is adjudication the right forum? 18 3.5 Other forms of 'rapid' dispute resolution 24 3.6 Adjudication on behalf of, or against, an insolvent party 30 3.7 Who to involve 40 3.8 Checklist: considering whether or not to adjudicate 42 4 Statutory adjudication 43 4.1 Overview 43 4.2 Old or new act 44 4.3 Existence and terms of a contract 44 4.4 Construction contract 49 4.5 Construction operations 55 4.6 Excluded construction operations 58 4.7 Excluded agreements 62 4.8 Contract in writing 66 4.9 Checklist: What form of adjudication am I subject to? 74 5 Contractual and ad hoc adjudication 75 5.1 Overview 75 5.2 Contractual adjudication 75 5.3 Ad hoc adjudication 79 6 Adjudication procedure 83 6.1 Overview 83 6.2 Scheme 84 6.3 Contractual procedures 88 6.4 Checklist: What adjudication procedure am I subject to? 96 7 Preconditions and restrictions to statutory adjudication 97 7.1 Overview 97 7.2 Is there a dispute? 98 7.3 More than one dispute 108 7.4 Substantially the same dispute (Scheme p. 9) 111 7.5 Does the dispute arise 'under' the contract (Act s. 108(1))? 115 7.6 More than one contract 117 7.7 Commencing an adjudication 'at any time' 119 8 Adjudication strategy 123 8.1 Overview 123 8.2 Commencing the adjudication process 123 8.3 More than one adjudication 125 8.4 Choosing the dispute to refer 126 8.5 Deploying arguments 139 8.6 Assessing the other party's willingness and ability to pay 141 8.7 Removing procedural uncertainty 142 9 Initiating the adjudication 144 9.1 Overview 144 9.2 A precis on jurisdiction and natural justice 145 9.3 Notice of adjudication 146 9.4 Checklist: Before serving the notice of adjudication - referring party 151 9.5 Checklist: On receiving the notice of adjudication - responding party 151 9.6 Appointing the adjudicator 152 9.7 Checklist: Appointing the adjudicator - referring party 171 9.8 Checklist: Appointing the adjudicator - responding party 171 9.9 Checklist: Accepting the appointment - adjudicator 172 10 The adjudication 173 10.1 Overview 173 10.2 Referral notice 174 10.3 Response 181 10.4 Reply, rejoinder and sur-rejoinder 184 10.5 Meetings 186 10.6 Other matters 188 10.7 Adjudicator's powers and duties 201 10.8 Checklist: Managing the adjudication - the adjudicator 212 11 The decision 214 11.1 Overview 214 11.2 What is the adjudicator required to do? 214 11.3 On receiving the decision 218 11.4 Timing 219 11.5 Effect and compliance 223 12 Post decision 227 12.1 Overview 227 12.2 Adjudicator's costs 228 12.3 Parties' costs 233 12.4 Apportioning costs 237 12.5 Correcting errors in the decision 239 12.6 Setting off against the decision 241 13 Enforcement: options and procedure 249 13.1 Overview 249 13.2 Key statements of principle and the court's policy 249 13.3 TCC summary enforcement procedure 252 13.4 Other procedures for enforcement 276 13.5 Complying with an order of the court 280 13.6 Checklist: Avoiding the consequences of an adjudicator's decision 284 14 Enforcement: insolvency, stay and severability 285 14.1 Overview 285 14.2 Insolvency avoids summary judgment 286 14.3 Stay of execution 290 15 Final determination 304 15.1 Overview 304 15.2 Finalising the adjudicator's decision 305 15.3 Adjudication and other proceedings 307 15.4 Commencement, onus of proof a