Lord Justice Jackson is to lead a review on extending fixed recoverable costs.

The architect of the current reformed costs regime, whose previous civil litigation review was published in 2010, has been commissioned by the Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas, and the Master of the Rolls Sir Terence Etherton, to take forward the government’s plans outlined earlier this year in its Transforming our Justice System paper.

Jackson LJ, who supports extending fixed fees to all civil claims worth up to £250,000, will formally begin the review in January, but has asked for written evidence to be submitted immediately.

The review seeks to develop proposals to extend the civil fixed recoverable costs regime to make the costs of going to court more certain, transparent and proportionate for litigants, and to consider the types and areas of litigation and value of claims to which the regime should apply.

Jackson LJ said: ‘Although the momentum is heavily for reform, the review will provide ample opportunity for comments and submissions on the form and scope that reform should take’. 

He said: ‘There is a great deal to be done on the detail of the review, which will inform the government as it prepares proposals for formal consultation in due course.’

The report will be submitted by 31 July 2017. Written evidence should be sent to fixed.costs@judiciary.gsi.gov.uk by 16 January.