Legal views – Page 49
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The Freedom of Information minefield
Parties are using the Freedom of Information Act to strengthen their positions, so be aware when working with a public body that it may have to disclose information you’d rather it didn’t
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Keeping the cash flowing
The fair payment charter is clearly going to need some teeth and enforcement powers but who the teeth will belong to and what the enforcement measures will look like remain to be seen
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Sharing out the risks
BIM is supposed to help eliminate design risk but the different parties on a project must make sure that their responsibilities and liabilities are clearly defined
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Set-off: Know the setbacks
Set-off is a term that is regularly heard in the construction industry, but does everyone know exactly what it means?
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Caught in the Act
Your brilliant idea to develop part of an existing building could easily be scuppered by the Landlord and Tenant Act 1987 - so best to get advice early
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Playing by the rules
The ‘Plebgate’ affair may not have been very edifying but it did give the courts the opportunity to issue guidelines on Civil Procedure Rule 3.9 - on granting relief from court sanctions
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Books for the beach
It’s summer and you’ll be wanting to pack some reading matter for the hols. Well, Construction Contract Variations will have you on the edge of your lilo
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Adjudication and administration: Show us the money
You can win an adjudication but still lose out if the client goes bust before you get payment of your award. But there are steps you can take to mitigate the risk
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Assignment: We can't afford to get it wrong
With notable distinction placed on assignment. What if it’s just not an option?
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Duty of care
Beware when dealing with product liability. A recent case has shown there are times when goods are not ‘goods’ and breach is not all it seems
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A judgment on the JCT term 'appropriate deduction'
A recent case breaks new ground in dealing with how ‘appropriate deductions’ for defects can be deducted by the employer
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The right remedy
A recent Supreme Court decision should make it easier for developers to argue that damages rather than an injunction should be awarded in nuisance cases
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Considering your clauses
Design obligations, in particular on the standard of skill and care required vs fitness for purpose provision, is a recurring issue
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A New York story
New York City has taken a tough line with construction firms that are involved in illegal activity. After looking at the case of Structure Tone, you wonder how long it will be before we take similar action here
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Clearing the traffic
The Highways Agency is being transformed from a quango to a go-co. But will it help projects to move faster – or just reduce its accountability?
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No escape from 106
Jacqueline Backhaus and Henry Fitch A recent case involving a planning row at an east London faith centre is a reminder of the difficulty of overturning section 106 agreements through the courts
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Latham: A knight’s tale
Michael Latham was just one of a long line of ‘gurus’ seeking to transform construction. They all failed but at least Sir Michael successfully transformed the legal process
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The fracking revolution
Proposals to streamline UK trespass laws could allow companies to extract shale gas from underneath an adjacent landowner’s property without permission
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Applying English law in Scotland
When deciding whether or not to enforce the adjudicator’s decision, the court had to decide if the contract was assessed under the English or the Scottish Scheme