Next Wellington Seminar

Topic: Joint and Several Liability in the Construction Sector

Speaker: Nick Crang of Buddle Findlay

Date: Monday, 20th February

Venue: Buddle Findlay, State Insurance Tower, 1 Willis Street, Wellington

Details

Sapere Research Group and Buddle Findlay were asked by the Department of Building & Housing to review the implications the current liability rule (as it relates to negligent acts) in the building and construction sector. The intention of the work was to assess the merits of alternative legal rules in terms of the Government’s ultimate goal of enhanced accountability in the building and construction sector.

Buddle Findlay and Sapere did not find evidence (either in law or economics) that a change to the current rule of joint and several liability would improve accountability. Rather, other rules for allocating liability look more unpalatable and are only likely to worsen the situation.

The report is available on the Sapere website at www.srgexpert.com/publications.html