Clause 18 replaces "Force Majeure" with "Exceptional Events," aiming for clarity in civil law jurisdictions. Strikes and lockouts are now distinct from riots. The clause maintains natural catastrophes and clarifies that invoking it results in contract termination.
Clause 16 introduces new grounds for suspension and termination, including non-compliance with binding decisions and non-receipt of Commencement Date Notice. It addresses corruption, and clarifies termination grounds and procedures. Contractors gain protection against financial consequences and can claim profit loss.
Clause 15 introduces new grounds for termination: non-compliance with a binding Engineer’s Determination or DAAB decision; and maxing out Delay Damages (actual deduction not necessary). Uncertainty remains if EOT is granted post-termination, potentially affecting the legality of termination.
Clause 10 changes include express references to As-Built Records, Manuals, and Training for Taking Over, a Notice of No-objection requirement, deemed Taking Over without these Notices, immediate issuance of Taking-Over Certificates, and a 14-day prevention period.
Contractors must prepare a detailed test programme reviewed by the Engineer. Clause 9.2 addresses delayed tests, applying Clause 10.3 for undue delays. Clause 9.2 adds procedures, including three Notices. Clause 9.4 expands failure criteria to include section rejection, complicating recovery under Clause 13.3.1.
Clause 8 changes include enhanced Programme requirements, Advance Warning mechanism, no Sub-Clause 20.2 notice for extension due to Variation, further definition of adverse climatic conditions, acceleration methods under Sub-Clause 13.3.1, and a cap on Delay Damages lifted for severe misconduct.
Clause 6 is similar to the 1999 version but adds Key Personnel, strictly regulated by the Engineer. Other changes include clearer employment laws, notice for work outside normal hours, enhanced health and safety roles, and improved record-keeping.
The main changes in Clause 3 are that: the Engineer may exercise its authority without the Employer's consent under Sub-Clause 3.7; and the Engineer must act “neutrally” under Sub-Clause 3.7. The intention is that the Engineer treats both Parties fairly.
Clause 2 now comprises 6 sub-clauses. New provisions, 2.5 and 2.6, have been introduced. The obligations and consequences remain unchanged. In Clause 2.4, the Employer can now specify financial arrangements, and the Contractor can request evidence under specific conditions.
FIDIC has launched the Second Editions of the Red, Yellow, and Silver Books, now over 50% longer than the 1999 forms. Key updates include more prescriptive processes, new time-bars, enhanced Dispute Boards, and a separate chapter on Disputes and Arbitration.
Clause 19 covers Force Majeure and release from performance, with broader definitions than typical laws. It prescribes detailed insurance requirements, reducing flexibility. The Contractor bears most obligations, necessitating careful amendments and professional advice to avoid misunderstandings and ensure proper incorporation into contracts.
English courts have historically held 'consequential loss' to be synonymous with 'indirect loss'. However, a recent case questions this position. It is also worth nothing that courts in different countries interpret 'consequential loss' differently from English courts.
English law recognises different types of mistake and permits various equitable remedies in case of mistake, as illustrated by the two English court decisions examined in this article.
Whilst it is widely understood that the law on liquidated damages differs considerably between common law and civil law jurisdictions, there are also differences within common law jurisdictions which are sometimes overlooked. This article summarises the recent developments to the law on penalties in England and Wales, as reported by Steve Mangan in May 2016[1], and compares them with the developments to the law on penalties in Australia.
Clause 15 covers Termination by the Employer, including notices to correct, grounds for termination, valuation at termination, payment after termination, and the Employer's entitlement to terminate at will with 28 days' notice.
Third party funding is increasingly used in international arbitration even though the cost can be significant. A new case has established that a winning claimant could recover the cost of obtaining third party funding as a cost in the arbitration.
The Engineer is deemed to act for the Employer and is essentially the Employer’s agent under the FIDIC Red Book 1999. He is not a wholly impartial intermediary, unless such a role is specified in the Particular Conditions, and there is no general obligation under the FIDIC Red Book 1999 for the Engineer to act independently or impartially. However, when he is required to make a determination under Sub-Clause 3.5, he is obliged to make it a fair determination and when he is obliged to issue an Interim Payment Certificate under Sub-Clause 14.6, or a Final Payment Certificate under Sub-Clause 14.13, he must fairly determine the amount due.
Contractors are sometimes concerned about the politics of their FIDIC 1999 Sub-Clause 20.1 notices. Some Contractors may consider that serving Sub-Clause 20.1 notices may send the wrong message, particularly in the honeymoon period when the works have just begun. However, the consequences of failing to serve a timely claim notice are so dire that doubtless the issue is regularly on every Contractor’s mind. The case of Obrascon Huarte Lain SA v Her Majesty's Attorney General for Gibraltar1 in the Technology and Construction Court of England and Wales provided some welcomed relief to many Contractors worldwide who may now attempt to rely on its finding on the timing of claim notices when postponing service of these crucial notices.
Two decades ago, unjust enrichment was described as “the Cinderella of law, barely 10 years old but growing up rapidly. Until recently unrecognised and overshadowed by the ugly sisters, Contract and Tort, Cinderella’s day has arrived.” In England a claim for unjust enrichment was initially referred to as a claim in ‘quasi contract’. This language has now been abandoned and unjust enrichment has a strong foothold in the landscape of commercial law and its role and limits are becoming more clearly defined. Despite this, it is only infrequently pleaded in construction cases and when argued it is often set out in broad terms where the facts do not support such a claim. However, this is cause of action that should not be overlooked by a contractor or employer – especially if they have claims that fall outside the four corners of their construction contract.
Earlier this year, the English High Court considered a heavily amended FIDIC Yellow Book 1999. Whilst the case is specific to the particular contractual amendments it is worth review. The case is J Murphy & Sons Ltd v Beckton Energy Ltd. It proceeded in court and on an expedited basis as a matter of some urgency because a bond was about to be called for non-payment of delay damages. The Contractor claimed the call would affect his commercial reputation, standing and creditworthiness, and may well need to be disclosed in future tenders. He had not paid the delay damages because there had been no agreement or determination of the entitlement to such by the Engineer under Sub-Clauses 2.5 and 3.5.
