Under UK law any dispute arising out of a construction contract may be referred for adjudication — a procedure for resolving disputes without resorting to lengthy and expensive court proceedings.
Adjudication is a procedure for resolving disputes without resorting to lengthy and expensive court procedure. For the purposes of this guide, adjudication is a reference to the procedure introduced in the UK in 1996 by the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act (Construction Act).
The adjudication process begins when the party referring the dispute to adjudication gives written notice of its intention to do so. The referral notice must be served within seven days. The adjudicator's decision must be made within 28 days of service of the referral notice — this tight timescale is designed to enable parties to obtain quick and cost-effective results, which are binding unless and until reviewed in litigation or arbitration.
Even if the parties intend to pursue court or arbitration proceedings, they must in the meantime comply with the adjudicator's decision. The RG team have extensive experience in dealing with adjudications.