Fidic 4th - a Practical Legal Guide (A Commentary on the International Construction Contract) by E. C. Corbett

Abstract

Fidic 4th – a Practical Legal Guide (A Commentary on the International Construction Contract) by E. C. Corbett. Published by Sweet and Maxwell, London (1991, xviii and 706 pp. incl. Preface, Table of Contents and Cases, Comparison between FIDIC 4th Edition and 3rd Edition, Appendix (FIDIC 4th Part IF) and Index ). Hardback Price £70.00. FIDIC, the Federation Internationale Des Ingenieurs-Conseils, is an association of national associations of Consulting Engineers with headquarters in Lausanne in Switzerland. FIDIC first produced a standard form of contract for civil engineering projects in 1957. The 4th Edition of the ‘Conditions of Contract for Works Civil Engineering Construction’, the subject of this book, was published in 1987. FIDIC 4TH entitled ‘A Practical Legal Guide’ is a very substantial book, written by a lawyer experienced in international civil engineering projects. The book is worthy of its title and worthy of study by all concerned with such projects. The format of the book is as follows:- > Table of Cases > > Introduction > > FIDIC 4th Part I with Commentary > > Comparision of FIDIC 4th and 3rd Editions > > Appendix comprising FIDIC 4th Part II; Form of Agreement; Form of Tender, and Appendix to Form of Tender. > > The Introduction has four sections, namely:- > 1. Introduction, setting out the origins of the 4th Edition, with comparison of dates of publication of the various editions of the conditions produced by the Institute of Civil Engineers in the United Kingdom (the ‘I.C.E. Conditions’; there seems to have been some leapfrogging over the dates of publication of the two sets of conditions), the Nature of the Conditions with principal changes from the 3rd Edition, Amendment of FIDIC's 4th Edition and clauses requiring attention in order to remove ambiguities, anomalies or discrepancies in the drafting. At the end of this latter section there is a valuable and necessary warning – ‘Generally, great care is needed when amending any standard form of contract’. Too true! How often has one come across amendments to standard forms of contract made enthusiastically and with the best of …