Hibberd to be new JCT Chairman

A Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) product story

Edited by the Buildingtalk editorial team Jul 3, 2008

Professor Peter Hibberd, the current secretary general, is to be the new chairman of the Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT).

The appointment was agreed at the JCT Board last month, and follows the retirement of Christopher Vickers CBE, FRICS, ACIArb, who had been chairman since 2002.

The role of chairman of the JCT is an influential one within the industry.

Not only do over 70 per cent of construction projects use JCT forms of contracts, JCT is the only true cross-industry representative body with the Council made up of the British Property Federation, Construction Confederation, Local Government Association, National Specialist Contractors Council, Royal Institute of British Architects, The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Scottish Building Contract Committee.

Outgoing chairman and former senior partner of E C Harris, Chris Vickers, said: "We are very pleased that Peter is going to become the new chairman of JCT.

He has guided JCT through an important period in its long history".

""JCT is in a unique position within the industry, and well placed to take more of a leadership role.

It was set up by the industry itself over 70 years ago to draft standard contracts that the whole industry could use, and today still retains that cross-industry membership and consensus".

John Hobson, a former director of the DTI Construction Directorate, commented: "Recently, Peter has been successful in moving the JCT and the industry towards better sustainability performance.

"He orchestrated an industry-wide consultation about introducing sustainability provisions into all JCT contracts, which produced an unexpectedly positive response".

"If adopted by JCT, this alone would bring sustainability to the forefront of contract negotiations for the majority of projects in the UK - a major step in the right direction towards achieving the objective of improving the industry's performance".

Peter will relinquish his role as secretary general, which he has held since 1999, when a replacement has been recruited.

The new person, who will have the title of director general, will probably take up the post towards the end of the year.

Advertisements for the post have begun appearing in the national press this week.