Construction Projects in UK Law

It is in Regulation 47H(2) that one finds what exercise the Court “must” do: it must consider whether, if regulation 47G(1) was not applicable, “it would be appropriate to make an interim order requiring the contracting authority to refrain from entering into the contract”; it then goes on to say that it is “only if the Court considers that it would not be appropriate to make such an interim order may it make an order under paragraph (1)(a)”.

The failure to comply with the regulations is an unlawful act, whether or not there is no economic operator who wishes to bring proceedings under reg 47, and thus a paradigm situation in which a public body should be subject to review by the court.

This means that the employer cannot bring a second adjudication to determine the value of the work at the valuation date of the interim application in question. There is nothing to prevent the employer challenging the value of the work on the next application, even if he is contending for a figure that is lower than the (unchallenged) amount stated in the previous application.

If the Authority has not complied with its obligations as to equality, transparency or objectivity, then there is no scope for the Authority to have a “margin of appreciation” as to the extent to which it will, or will not, comply with its obligations.

Is the adjudicator obliged to inform the parties of the information that he obtains from his own knowledge and experience or from other sources and of the conclusions which he might reach, taking those sources into account? In my judgment it is now clear that, in principle, the answer may be: Yes. Whether the answer is in the affirmative will depend on the circumstances. The reason lies, at least in part, in the requirement that the adjudicator should act impartially.

But in construing such a contract one starts with the presumption that neither party intends to abandon any remedies for its breach arising by operation of law, and clear express words must be used in order to rebut this presumption.

Counsel for Morrison submitted that damages would not be an adequate remedy for three reasons. The first and most important one is that, in a case where one of the key complaints is that of undisclosed criteria, it is very difficult indeed for the Court at trial to assess damages because assessment of what chance has been lost by the claimant in those circumstances is virtually impossible.