It is with great pride that I welcome you all to our first newsletter of 2024.  Life on the SCL(S) Publications Committee means that our work is mostly done in the shadows, so this welcome message is a rare treat for me to step out into the sunshine!

I would like to use this platform to heap a little praise on my fellow Council members for all the hard work they have done, and continue to do, in delivering high quality events, seminars and courses to SCL Singapore’s members and friends (special mention to our secretariat, June Tan and her fantastic team at Intellitrain).  It has been a real honour to serve alongside you all these past couple of years.

Chan Yong Neng and I have spearheaded the SCL(S) Publications Committee since 2022, and we take some pride from citation of an SCL(S) newsletter publication in a recent judgment handed down by the Appellate division of the High Court ([2024] SGHC(A) 1, para 116).  It is always nice to learn that we have readers in high places.

Within this edition of our newsletter, you will find some highlights of our recent events, as well as some informative articles covering the mitigation of potential disputes in live projects and, when all else fails, how to prepare and quantify claims.  Also contributed is a summary of recent updates to the AIAC Arbitration Rules (2023).

Before I sign off, I want to draw your attention to the 14th run of our highly recommended Construction 101 course, which is coming up in March.  This certified course provides a comprehensive introduction to the basic principles of construction law, and is well suited to both non-lawyers and lawyers alike.  Registration closes 15th March, and SCL members enjoy a generously discounted rate, so don’t hang around!

Shameless promotion of SCL(S) aside, it just leaves me to wish you all a happy new year, and I hope the year ahead is a joyful and prosperous one for all!

Chris Rudland
Chair, SCL(S) Publications Committee