Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Key definition

Referring party definition

What does Referring party mean? The party that starts an adjudication by serving a notice of adjudication—effectively, the claimant. In construction adjudication, the referring party frames the dispute to be decided, applies to or selects an adjudicator or adjudicator nominating body if none is agreed, and must serve the referral (referral notice) with supporting evidence within the prescribed timetable. The other side is the responding party. Across England & Wales and Scotland under the Housing Grants, Construction and Regeneration Act 1996 (as amended) and the applicable Scheme for Construction Contracts, and in Northern Ireland under the Construction Contracts (Northern Ireland) Order 1997 and its Scheme, “referring...

Construction adjudication under the HGCRA 1996: speed, temporary effect, costs, ambush risk, enforceability and privacy

Published by a LexisNexis Construction expert

Practice notes

Parties to a ‘construction contract’ are entitled to refer any crystallised dispute to adjudication at any time. For further detail, see the following Practice Notes:

Practice Notes

The right to adjudicate
Adjudication—is there a ‘dispute’?
What is a construction contract under the HGCRA 1996?

Where the right to adjudicate is available, the next step is to assess whether adjudication is a workable method of resolving the matter. There is a statutory 28‑day timetable for adjudication, which may render it unsuitable for very large or highly complex claims. This constraint can be alleviated if the parties agree to extend the period within which the decision must be issued, or if the Referring party splits the case into more than one adjudication. Even so, if the claim cannot be fairly determined within the restricted timeframe, adjudication may not be the appropriate route.

Assuming a party may commence an adjudication and the dispute is apt for resolution by adjudication, what are the principal benefits and risks when measured against litigation or arbitration?...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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