Course duration: 1 Day

Cost: £325 + VAT

Contracts, their application and interpretation are fundamental to every construction project. Construction contract forms, although specifically developed to aid efficient and effective delivery of engineering projects, are based on common principles of English law.

This one-day course focuses on the underlying legal essentials to all construction contracts. It will enable the delegate to understand and appreciate the key requirements that are inherent in a contract, ensure its operation and how the key clauses are interpreted.

A broad introduction to English law and the UK legal system establishes the basis of the course. This is expanded to define essential requirements for contract formation that ensure legal status. The various options for formation are considered and discussed.

Contract terms, breaches, remedies and interpretation are presented and supported with key case law.

The law of tort is outlined and it application to claims of negligence, most common to construction contracts, is detailed.

Tutorial questions are used throughout to illustrate key points and demonstrate legal decisions and precedents in respect of contract law in the construction industry.

The tutor is a fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. He has extensive experience in the UK and international construction arena to director level. He now runs a consultancy specialising in the resolution of construction disputes and contractual advice. He is a past Chairman of the Arbitration Advisory Panel and the Conciliation and Adjudication Advisory Panel at the Institution of Civil Engineers, and its Chairman of the Legal Affairs Advisory Panel and is legal correspondent for a leading construction publication.

Objectives

At the end of the course the delegates should be able to:

Recall the essential points of law applying to construction activities
Understand the legal framework within which operations are carried out
Identify consequences of the legal effects of negotiations carried out
Understand how contracts will be interpreted by the courts
Assess the positional strengths of all the parties in any dispute

Intended for

All involved in construction projects – whether client, consultant, contractor or subcontractor – who would benefit from a clear understanding of contract law

Outline Programme

Introduction
Forming a contract
Breach of contract
Term of a contract
Purchasing and subcontracting
Interpretation of a contract
Law of tort