Ontario has announced the adjudication authority for its prompt payment legislation. This is the last piece of the prompt payment legislation that needed to be put in place, said Sandra Skivsky, chair of the National Trade Contractors Coalition of Canada (NTCCC). The final stage is set to begin on October 1.
After an open selection process, ADR Chambers Inc. of Toronto has been selected as the authorized adjudicating authority. The new body will oversee the adjudication process for construction disputes, including the training and qualification of adjudicators.
The company reports that it has more than 20 years of experience and provides conflict resolution services across Canada and internationally. Their services include mediation, arbitration, ombudsman services, investigation, neutral evaluation, fairness monitoring, workplace restoration, and private appeals.
As part of their role as Ontario prompt payment adjudicator, the company will develop a website for people to learn about adjudication, develop and oversee training programs for adjudicators, qualify individuals who meet the prescribed requirements as adjudicators, maintain a fee schedule, create a code of conduct for adjudicators, create a complaints procedure, appoint adjudicators to disputes and publish educational materials regarding the adjudication process. It will also create an annual report containing aggregated information regarding adjudication in Ontario.
The Authority will work independently from the Ontario government.
