Earlier this week, we held the Society’s first social reception at the Fullerton Boathouse. More than 70 of you and your guests participated in this event and I enjoyed the opportunity to meet and talk to several of you. Next month, the Society will hold a Workshop on Extension of Time. This workshop will review the latest developments of the law on this subject and consider, in particular, the case for adopting a protocol on this subject as has been done by our counterpart in the United Kingdom.

A subject which will no doubt attract considerable attention in the coming year will be the Building and Construction Industry Security of Payment Act 2004. The Act comes into force on 1st April 2005 and, as some of you will be aware, the Singapore Mediation Centre has invited applications from suitably qualified persons for appointments as adjudicators. A few of your have approached me to consider organizing briefing sessions and workshops on the various dimensions of the new regime and, in particular, the law relating to adjudicators. I intend to look into this over the next few weeks.

We are also planning to bring out a Construction Law Newsletter. This 6-page newsletter will be published in conjunction with the legal publishers Thompson Sweet & Maxwell and will feature short articles, case notes and news items relating to construction law. The editorial team will welcome contributions for consideration. A publishing permit has just been submitted and we are quietly optimistic that the first issue should roll out in April or May 2005.

Finally, please feel free to drop me a line if you have any further suggestions. The Society is also seeking to expand its membership base and will continue to welcome membership applications from any person who has a developed interest in construction law.