Barber, John

Biography

John Barber MA LLB CEng FICE FCIArb is Michael Brown lecturer in the Centre for Construction Law & Dispute Resolution and was Director of the Centre from 2009 to 2013. He joined the Centre in 1992 and chairs the Programme Board of Examiners. He combines qualifications and experience in both engineering and law, graduating in 1969 with a degree in Mechanical Sciences from Cambridge University and then working for four years with a major contractor on heavy civil engineering works followed by four years specialising in forensic investigation work, before joining a firm of consulting engineers specialising in ports and harbours. While working as a civil engineer he obtained an LLB in 1980 and then completed the Bar Finals. However, he stayed practising as a consulting engineer, working in Hong Kong, Cameroon and the UK, applying the legal knowledge in conjunction with technical expertise. Since 1986 he has practised as an independent consultant, adjudicator and arbitrator. This background has enabled him to teach engineering to the lawyer students on the MSc, contract law to the non-lawyers, and a range of other construction law and dispute resolution topics (including health and safety law) with the benefit of a practical understanding of current problems and the interface between law and construction. His publications include Quality Management in Construction–Contractual Aspects (CIRIA, 1992) and Building and Civil Engineering Claims in Perspective (3rd ed jointly, 1992), and papers on the role of the engineer, health and safety, dispute resolution, procurement and risk. He has served on various committees of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety, the Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Hazards Forum.    John Barber MA LLB CEng FICE FCIArb is Michael Brown lecturer in the Centre for Construction Law & Dispute Resolution and was Director of the Centre from 2009 to 2013. He joined the Centre in 1992 and chairs the Programme Board of Examiners. He combines qualifications and experience in both engineering and law, graduating in 1969 with a degree in Mechanical Sciences from Cambridge University and then working for four years with a major contractor on heavy civil engineering works followed by four years specialising in forensic investigation work, before joining a firm of consulting engineers specialising in ports and harbours. While working as a civil engineer he obtained an LLB in 1980 and then completed the Bar Finals. However, he stayed practising as a consulting engineer, working in Hong Kong, Cameroon and the UK, applying the legal knowledge in conjunction with technical expertise. Since 1986 he has practised as an independent consultant, adjudicator and arbitrator. This background has enabled him to teach engineering to the lawyer students on the MSc, contract law to the non-lawyers, and a range of other construction law and dispute resolution topics (including health and safety law) with the benefit of a practical understanding of current problems and the interface between law and construction. His publications include Quality Management in Construction–Contractual Aspects (CIRIA, 1992) and Building and Civil Engineering Claims in Perspective (3rd ed jointly, 1992), and papers on the role of the engineer, health and safety, dispute resolution, procurement and risk. He has served on various committees of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Standing Committee on Structural Safety, the Permanent International Association of Navigation Congresses, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Hazards Forum.   

Research Interest

 research interests in competition law and policy.