Joint Contracts Tribunal

The Joint Contracts Tribunal, also known as the JCT, produces standard forms of contract, guidance notes and other standard documentation for use in the construction industry. After recommendations in the Latham Report The current operational structure comprises 8 members who approve and authorise publications. They are the Association of Consulting Engineers, the British Property Federation, the Construction Confederation, the Local Government Association, the National Specialist Contractors Council, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Scottish Building Contract Committee.

History

The Joint Contracts Tribunal was established in 1931. It consisted of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) and the National Federation of Building Trades Employers (NFBTE). The common purpose was to publish and where necessary amend a standard form of building contract. The JCT published important new editions of the form in 1939, 1963, 1980, 1998 and 2005. From its beginnings JCT has expanded the number of contributing organisations. In 1998 JCT became a limited company.

Suite of Standard Forms

Link to JCT Standard Forms Website

Suite of Standard Forms means a group of all the mutually consistent documents necessary to operate a particular method of procurement and produced to enable them to be used together, including the following where applicable:

• consultant agreements
• a main contract between the employer and the main contractor;
• sub-contracts between the main contractor and its subcontractors (both for sub-contractors selected by the employer and for other sub-contractors);
• a standard form of sub-sub-contract between a subcontractor and such sub-contractor's sub-sub-contractors;
• a design agreement between an employer and a specialist designer;
• forms of tender for issue by an employer to prospective main contractors and for issue by a main contractor to prospective subcontractors and for issue by a subcontractor to prospective sub-sub-contractors;
• a form of contract for the supply of goods;
• forms of bond (including performance bonds) and collateral warranties.

Main Forms

JCT substantially revises and rewrites the family of forms every decade. The most recent suite, replacing the 1998 version, is the 2005 suite.

Main Contracts

1. Major Project Form (MP05)
2. Standard Form of Building Contract (SBC05)
3. Intermediate Form of Building Contract (IC05)
4. Minor Works Agreement (MW05)
5. Management Contract (MC05)
6. Building Contract for Home Owner/Occupier (where client deals directly with the builder) (HO/C)
7. Building Contract for Home Owner/Occupier (who has appointed a consultant) (HO/RM)
8. Contract for Home Repairs and Maintenance (HO/RM)
9. Construction Management Documentation

Sub-Contracts

References

• Chappell, David (2007) Understanding JCT Standard Building Contracts - 8th ed ISBN 978-0-415-41385-5.
• Anthony Speaight, Gregory Stone (2005) Architect's Legal Handbook - Eighth Edition ISBN 0-7506-6130-5
• JCT Website

External links

• JCT Website