ABSTRACT
Programmes present many pitfalls for the unwary Subcontractor. The Contractor's programme might be part of the contract documents, but under many of the Standard Forms of Contract, for example, Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT), it does not define the Contractor's obligations in respect of time. The situation is quite different under the New Engineering Contract (NEC) forms of contract and this is one of the key differences as between the JCT and NEC forms. The completion date and any stage or sectional completion dates are enforceable and failure of the Contractor to meet these dates may lead to a claim by the Client for liquidated damages. Contracts will generally require that the Contractor progresses the works regularly and diligently and failure of the Contractor to meet the dates on the master programme might be evidence that this is not the case.
