Progress of Statutory Adjudication as a Means of Resolving Disputes in Construction in the United Kingdom

Abstract

This paper reports on a longitudinal study on the progress of statutory adjudication in the United Kingdom since its commencement in 1998. This study was carried out by the Adjudication Reporting Centre at Glasgow Caledonian University and it considers the statistical data provided by both Adjudicator Nominating Bodies and adjudicators themselves. Various trends are shown and reasons explored. These trends include the growth in adjudication referrals, numbers of adjudicators, causes of disputes, sums of money in dispute, seasonal trends, monitoring of adjudicators’ performance, procedures adopted, time limits, fees, etc. There is evidence that the disputes, while still predominantly about payment and valuation issues, are becoming larger and more complex. The impact of statutory adjudication on other forms of dispute resolution is considered.