Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 01 OCTOBER 2026

Adjudication Enforcement In Focus: When Is An Agreement Agreed?

TLT
TLT
Contributor
TLT

TLT

Business advisors as well as lawyers, TLT works in step with its clients to protect their interests...

View firm profile
Explore more from TLT

When construction project correspondence refers to items being "agreed," does this create a legally binding contract variation? The Technology and Construction Court examined whether email exchanges...

United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Katherine Doran
Katherine Doran

Project correspondence may refer to certain items being "agreed", but that does not necessarily mean the parties have entered into a legally binding agreement varying the contract. In Clerkenwell Lifestyle v HG Construction, the Technology and Construction Court (TCC) considered whether emails recording a 12-week extension of time (EOT) constituted a binding agreement fixing revised completion dates, or simply formed part of the contractual EOT mechanism. Looking beyond the language used in the correspondence, the Court examined the wider factual context, including the procedure being followed and the parties' subsequent conduct. The case also highlights the difficulties parties face when seeking to challenge enforcement of an adjudicator's decision on the basis of arguments that were not clearly put before the adjudicator.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

View source

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

Game Developer And Publisher Battle Over Step In Rights

A High Court ruling examines a contentious dispute between a video game developer and publisher over milestone-based funding and "step in" rights for the first-person shooter Six Days in Fallujah. With over $50 million in development costs at stake and allegations of conspiracy to acquire proprietary source code, the court declined to grant either party interim control of the game's development, leaving both sides without the "keys to the kingdom" pending a full trial.
United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Lewis Silkin
Lewis Silkin
Article

Meta's $18 Billion Settlement: Reckoning Or Managed Exit?

Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion over 10 years to settle claims by 52 US state and territory attorneys general in the largest state consumer-protection settlement in American history outside tobacco. The settlement imposes binding child-safety obligations including time limits and age assurance, but leaves the core algorithmic feed unchanged and raises questions about whether this represents genuine accountability or a commercially managed outcome.
United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Mishcon de Reya LLP
Mishcon de Reya LLP
Article

LNG Charterparty Hire Formula: Meaning Of JKM–TTF Pricing Spread

The Commercial Court ruled on a USD 29 million dispute over an LNG carrier charterparty's index-linked pricing formula, determining whether the "JKM-TTF spread" operated bidirectionally or only when JKM exceeded TTF. The decision examines how unprecedented market conditions—where European gas prices surged above Asian prices due to the Ukraine war—tested the contractual formula's application and whether rectification could remedy an alleged drafting oversight.
European UnionLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
CMS Wistrand
CMS Wistrand
Video

One-Punch Manslaughter – When A Single Blow Kills (Video)

A split-second decision can change lives forever. In one-punch manslaughter cases, a single impulsive blow, perhaps thrown in anger, fear or misguided bravado, leads to a tragic death. These ‘death by a single punch’ incidents are more common in the UK than many realise. Dozens of families every year are left devastated, with one family grieving an unimaginable loss, and another family shocked and fearful as their loved one faces a homicide investigation for an outcome no one intended. It’s a tragic reality, one moment of anger, one fatal assault involving a single blow, and two lives (and families) ruined.
United KingdomLitigation, Mediation & Arbitration
Olliers Solicitors
Olliers Solicitors
Article

From Replacement To Repair: What The EU Right To Repair Directive Means For Businesses

The EU's Right to Repair Directive, which entered into force on 31 July 2026, introduces comprehensive measures to encourage product repair and extend consumer goods' lifespan as part of the bloc's circular economy strategy. Alongside the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and the Green Transition Directive, these reforms impose new obligations on manufacturers, importers, and distributors to make products more durable and repairable while providing enhanced consumer information about repair opti
European UnionConsumer Protection
TLT
TLT
Article

The EU's Empowering Consumers For The Green Transition Directive: What Your Business Needs To Do Before September 2026

The EU's Green Transition Directive introduces sweeping new rules on greenwashing, sustainability claims, and product durability that will impact all businesses selling to EU consumers from September 2026. With banned practices, mandatory pre-contractual disclosures, and new labelling requirements, companies must act now to audit their environmental claims and ensure compliance across both physical and digital channels.
European UnionConsumer Protection
TLT
TLT
Article

EU KIDS Act: Europe's Plan To Strengthen Child Online Safety

The European Commission has proposed the EU KIDS Act, a comprehensive regulatory framework establishing a minimum age of 15 for social media access and mandating safety-by-design principles for digital services accessible to minors. This analysis explores how the Act's four pillars compare with the UK's Online Safety Act, examines its relationship with existing EU digital regulations including the DSA and upcoming Digital Fairness Act, and outlines the practical compliance implications for platforms operati
European UnionMedia, Telecoms, IT, Entertainment
TLT
TLT
Article

Cohabitation Reform Will The Law Finally Catch Up With Modern Families?

The law on cohabitation has struggled to keep pace with changing family structures, leaving unmarried couples with far fewer rights than married partners. With the government's proposed reforms potentially bringing the biggest change to cohabitants' rights in a generation, understanding the current legal position, the consultation proposals, and how other jurisdictions approach this issue has never been more important.
United KingdomFamily and Matrimonial
TLT
TLT
Article

HMRC’s Proposed New Duty To Correct And The Rise Of Tax Governance: What Employers Need To Know

HMRC has proposed new legislation requiring taxpayers to correct known inaccuracies in tax returns, with failures to act being treated as deliberate behaviour attracting higher penalties and extended assessment periods. The draft legislation introduces a statutory duty to correct errors once identified and grants HMRC power to issue Customer Correction Notices, fundamentally shifting tax compliance from a technical exercise to a governance obligation that boards must actively oversee.
United KingdomTax
TLT
TLT
Article

Export Control Enforcement: Lessons From The Airbus Settlement

Airbus Operations Limited has paid over £6.4 million to HMRC in the highest compound settlement ever reached for strategic export control offences in the UK. The breaches, which AOL self-reported, involved failures to maintain proper records of controlled technology exports and transfers over a sustained period, highlighting the critical importance of robust export control compliance procedures for organizations operating internationally.
United KingdomGovernment, Public Sector
TLT
TLT
Article

October 2026 Harassment Reforms: Why Employers Need To Move From Compliance To Evidence

From October 2026, UK employers face significantly strengthened duties to prevent workplace harassment, requiring them to take 'all reasonable steps' rather than merely 'reasonable steps' to prevent sexual harassment, while also introducing a new obligation to protect employees from third-party harassment across multiple protected characteristics. Organizations must now demonstrate not just compliance through policies and training, but active risk identification, preventative action, and ongoing review̵
United KingdomEmployment and HR
TLT
TLT
Article

Why CAP Code Rule 1.3 Matters: Social Responsibility In Advertising

The ASA's recent Jaded London ruling demonstrates that advertisers can breach CAP Code Rule 1.3 through lifestyle imagery and creative choices alone, even without express harmful claims. This analysis examines how the rule operates, what businesses need to consider when reviewing campaign materials, and why social responsibility assessments should extend beyond headline copy to encompass the entire creative execution.
United KingdomConsumer Protection
TLT
TLT
Article

Reflective Loss Won't Save Rogue Directors: What Minority Shareholders Need To Know

A landmark High Court ruling confirms that minority shareholders can pursue unfair prejudice claims under s994 Companies Act 2006 even when their losses mirror company losses, rejecting the reflective loss principle as a barrier. The decision provides crucial clarity on shareholder remedies when directors misappropriate company funds and establishes important precedent for structuring such claims.
United KingdomCorporate/Commercial Law
TLT
TLT