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ARTICLE · 05 JANUARY 1999

The New British Library Case - The Difference between Insuring and Ensuring

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United KingdomInsurance
The New British Library Case - The Difference between Insuring and Ensuring

By
Patrick Holmes

As construction projects go, few can have greater notoriety than the new British Library at St. Pancras. We shall probably never know who are the real villains in this sorry tale - it is likely that there were many. However, from the privileged position of knowing virtually nothing about the project at first hand, I should like to nominate the project insurers as candidates for the hall of shame.

I have nothing against insurers generally. As their involvement in the industry grows, I would make few friends by saying that I have. Rather, my complaint arises having read the judgement of the Official Referees Court in the so-called British Library case.[1]

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