Abstract:
Construction contracts are unique in having a contractor administrator, whose role has been described as an “officer of the contract”. The conventional wisdom in common law jurisdictions is that where the contract administrator is called upon to decide an issue which affects the interests of both the employer and the contractor, he is required to exercise independent judgment. This case note considers two recent Singapore High Court cases which have held that a contract administrator under the most popular design-and-build standard form of contract in Singapore does not owe such a duty of independence.