Navigating Adjudication

• Published date: 05 September 2023
• Subject Matter: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration, Real Estate and Construction, Arbitration & Dispute Resolution, Construction & Planning
• Law Firm: Blaser Mills
• Author: Lewis Cohen

Adjudication

Whilst adjudication has been available for a number of decades, legislation passed in 1996 provided statutory legislation as a formal dispute resolution procedure which is available for all construction projects other than contracts for residential homes, unless provided for by the contract itself.

The procedure is fast track. The referring party issues a Notice of Intention to Refer and a nominating body such as the RICS or RIBA appoint an adjudicator. Within seven days of the Notice the referring party then has to issue its claim document (known as a referral) and any supporting information. Subject to an additional 14 days which the adjudicator can seek, the adjudication must be completed within 28 days of issue of the referral.

This process was intended to promote cash flow within the Construction Industry and was particularly targeted at interim payments.

The process has been hijacked, to a large degree, by lawyers and is now seen as a particularly efficient way of addressing disputes, either during the currency of a contract or at the end, replacing what would otherwise have been an expensive piece of litigation or arbitration, especially with respect to extensions of time and final accounts.

There are a set of standard rules governing adjudication...