Can We Strengthen Trust in Adjudication—While Creating Real Protection for Those Who Deliver It?
Every adjudicator knows the feeling: the decision is issued, the invoice goes out… and then silence. Fee recovery can be uncertain, slow, or costly—and you're largely on your own.
At the same time, the adjudication system faces mounting pressure. Parties, lawyers, and institutions increasingly want transparency, consistency, and confidence in adjudicator standards.
These aren't separate issues—they’re two sides of the same coin: credibility and protection in a demanding role.
So here's the question:
🧩 What if we created a collective structure that addressed both at once—through an insurance-backed professional scheme?
A New Direction:
The Adjudicator Standards & Security Collective (ASSC)
Not a new nominating body.
Not just another list.
But a professional membership model that could offer:
✅ Insurance-backed protection for unpaid fees, with pooled legal support
✅ Clear, competency-based entry standards grounded in real-world experience
✅ Model terms of appointment to protect adjudicators and reassure parties
✅ And over time, a public assurance mark of excellence and professional integrity
This is an idea in development—but grounded in real challenges. Right now, I’m exploring whether there’s interest and appetite for such a scheme from fellow adjudicators, construction lawyers, and institutional stakeholders.
What do you think?
👉 Would you support this in principle?
👉 What would make it meaningful or credible for you?
👉 Where do you see the biggest opportunity—or obstacle?
If this resonates—or doesn’t—I’d be very interested to hear your perspective in the comments or via message.
Let’s talk—quietly and constructively—about how we might build something better.
Together.
Nigel Davies
24 July 2025