Dear SCL(S) members,

April showers are said to bring May flowers. Perhaps that applies to budding principles of construction law as well.

In May 2019 alone, there appear to have been some 4 significant reported decisions by the Singapore Courts, including 2 by the Singapore Court of Appeal.

In the past months, my co-editor Ashok and I have been very pleased to see more people putting their hands up and coming forwards with articles on construction law. In this edition of the newsletter, we have a piece dealing with the Singapore Infrastructure Dispute-Management Protocol, the latest guidance aimed for use on "mega" construction projects. I will leave readers to decide whether they agree, as the authors suggest, it is both innovation and imitation.

In an example of what must be "true" concurrency with the aforementioned article, yours truly will soon be chairing a session with Messrs Simon Bellas and John Cooper from Jones Day, in which they will be sharing their thoughts on Cost and Time Blowouts (and Major Disputes) on Large Construction Projects (03 July 2019). I am very much looking forward to that session and look forward to seeing those of you who are attending.

We also have Ashok writing a helpful update on the recent seminar, chaired by Chau Ee, on the Use of Tribunal Appointed Experts in Construction Arbitration (24 April 2019).

Separately, you would have seen our call for members' input in response to a survey on the use of expert joint statements in international arbitration, with a view to facilitating research and thought-leadership in this area. Your participation is very important to us.

I might humbly suggest that the above bode well for the blossoming in Singapore of construction law and related topics. But let me stop with the flower analogies before hay fever sets in.

Thank you for your continued support and interest, and I wish you well.