Frances Paterson MBE

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Frances Paterson, who supported the life of the CIC over many years. Frances worked tirelessly for the CIC in various capacities: she was chair of the Liability Panel for ten years, during which time she pioneered and pushed through a wide range of Liability Briefings, as well as the Scope of Services - a huge undertaking - all of which have been and still are widely used. In addition, she was instrumental in the drafting and publication of the Model Adjudication Procedure and the Guide to Adjudication, which have again become industry standards. Her clear and succinct drafting style was a hallmark of her work.

Not content with that, Frances wrote and contributed to various books, and was also a leading light in the Society of Construction Law, whose published papers she edited for over 17 years; more than 300 papers in all, an invaluable resource for the industry . She was also Visiting Fellow of the Centre of Construction Law at King’s College London, which she supported from the beginning. In 2007 Frances’ outstanding efforts were finally recognised when she was awarded an MBE for “services to the construction industry”. And as a splendid finale to her career, she was immensely proud that in May this year the SCL awarded her The President’s Medal for her outstanding contribution to construction law. It was well deserved.

Frances lived her life to the full, with infectious energy and enthusiasm; she was a loyal and supportive friend and colleague, who never let her health problems define who she was and what she achieved. She faced death with huge courage; she was an inspirational figure and one whom we remember with great affection and respect.