*/
Lord Justice Jackson condemned the government’s legal aid cuts in his final speech before retiring on his 70th birthday.
The judge, who has been the architect of major civil litigation reforms, said ‘I regret and deplore’ the cuts that were introduced in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, the same Act as his costs reforms.
In a speech to the Cambridge Law Faculty, 'Was it worth it?', Jackson LJ said that ‘most unfortunately’ the recommendation in his final report on civil justice reform of ‘the vital necessity of making no further cutbacks’ in legal aid availability or eligibility had not been heeded by ministers. ‘Likewise, my plea for restraint in setting court fees has fallen on deaf ears,’ he said.
Jackson LJ’s reform ended the recoverability of success fees and after the event insurance premiums, introduced case management reforms and the joint use of experts. He also recommended the ban on referral fees in personal injury claims.
He told his audience that spending ten years reforming the procedure rules to reduce litigation costs was ‘about as unglamorous as it gets’ and accepted that lawyers did not love him for his work. Lawyers, he said, ‘generally don’t like change and they particularly dislike anyone meddling with costs’.
The Lord Justice concluded that while ‘many of the causes of excessive costs have been eliminated and significant improvements have been made in the litigation process’ costs were ‘still too high’.
He will return to his old chambers as an arbitrator and adjudicator, and will also join the new commercial court in Kazakhstan.
Lord Justice Jackson condemned the government’s legal aid cuts in his final speech before retiring on his 70th birthday.
The judge, who has been the architect of major civil litigation reforms, said ‘I regret and deplore’ the cuts that were introduced in the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, the same Act as his costs reforms.
In a speech to the Cambridge Law Faculty, 'Was it worth it?', Jackson LJ said that ‘most unfortunately’ the recommendation in his final report on civil justice reform of ‘the vital necessity of making no further cutbacks’ in legal aid availability or eligibility had not been heeded by ministers. ‘Likewise, my plea for restraint in setting court fees has fallen on deaf ears,’ he said.
Jackson LJ’s reform ended the recoverability of success fees and after the event insurance premiums, introduced case management reforms and the joint use of experts. He also recommended the ban on referral fees in personal injury claims.
He told his audience that spending ten years reforming the procedure rules to reduce litigation costs was ‘about as unglamorous as it gets’ and accepted that lawyers did not love him for his work. Lawyers, he said, ‘generally don’t like change and they particularly dislike anyone meddling with costs’.
The Lord Justice concluded that while ‘many of the causes of excessive costs have been eliminated and significant improvements have been made in the litigation process’ costs were ‘still too high’.
He will return to his old chambers as an arbitrator and adjudicator, and will also join the new commercial court in Kazakhstan.
Making a move from the Bar to a career in governance: Maria Brookes outlines three good reasons to switch and how to do it
Inés Rivera explains how speech recognition can help barristers create accurate documentation faster
What should barristers be doing on the personal finance front ahead of the end of the tax year on 5 April? Julian Morgan of Fleet Street Wealth answers your questions
Are you ready to embark on this arduous but potentially rewarding journey? Julie Gottlieb of Sherwood PSF Consulting provides a self-examination checklist, hints and tips to help you prepare for a future application
Unlocking your aged debt to augment cash flow in one easy step… By Philip N Bristow of Vector Professions Finance
The journey from a small village in Nepal to international law professor and UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights: Admas Habteslasie talks to Surya Subedi QC (Hon)
The Westminster Commission on Miscarriages of Justice, set up to revisit the work of the CCRC after 25 years of operation, identified serious issues that risk miscarriages of justice remaining unidentified or unremedied. By Edward Garnier QC Michelle Nelson QC
Unsparing in his criticism, the former Attorney General reflects on recent events in government and his own experience of being chief legal adviser. Interview by Anthony Inglese CB
Making a move from the Bar to a career in governance: Maria Brookes outlines three good reasons to switch and how to do it
Sports coaches will be caught by a change in the law that addresses the disparity in treatment for 16- to 17-year-olds, writes Cameron Brown QC
.tmb-carlisting.jpg?sfvrsn=1dbaf4a7_1){kind=avatar}