BLISS – Introduction

The BLISS (Building Law Information Subscriber Service) database is produced by James R. Knowles and Driver Consult. BLISS is a comprehensive resource for legal and technical information from all over the world that is elevant to the construction industry. It is well-established in legal circles, local authorities and construction firms, and includes abstracts of legal cases, judgments, articles, European Union legislation and UK Statutory Instruments. The database is updated weekly.

The BLISS database started life in 1986 as the library database of James R. Knowles, the international contract consultants. Its initial function was to provide an up-to-date library and current awareness service to all James R. Knowles offices. This was extended in 1987 when the Building Law Information Subscriber Service was established to make the information available outside the company. The database includes records for documents dating back much further than 1986 – there are case reports going back to 1807 and legislation to 1861.

All the principal construction law report series are included. In addition, the main general law report series, such as the All England Law Reports and The Law Reports, are represented where the cases reported have implications for the construction industry. Therefore, cases on commercial law, company law, insolvency law, negligence, court practice, public procurement, health and safety, employment law, sale of goods and arbitration are all included. Many Commonwealth and American cases are covered. The database’s main strength, however, lies in its comprehensive reports of judgments of the Official Referees’ Court, many of which are not reported anywhere else.

The database also includes details of all the standard forms of contract plus their amendments, books, reports, BRE digests, British Standards, legislation, European Directives and government publications.

More information about the BLISS database