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Lord Justice Jackson has called for fixed legal costs to apply in all civil claims valued up to £250,000.
Currently, fixed recoverable costs only apply to personal injury claims valued up to £25,000. But the architect of the costs regime introduced by the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, has suggested there should be a fixed cost ‘grid’ for all multi-track cases worth up to £250,000, irrespective of their complexity.
Jackson urged the government to implement the change as a priority and said it could be introduced by the end of the year.
He told the Insolvency Practitioners Association that ‘high litigation costs inhibit access to justice’ and ‘if costs prevent access to justice, this undermines the rule of law’.
But Chairman of the Bar, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, warned that using the value of a case to determine costs could curtail access to justice, by making it economically unviable to take on complex cases.
‘A low value but legally complex case may demand a great deal more work than the allocated cost band will allow. This means lawyers may not take on complicated, low value cases, thus preventing legitimate claims from being pursued,’ she said.
She warned that the proposal could tilt the litigation playing field further in favour of big business and the state, which may well be willing to spend large sums of money – beyond what is recoverable.
In a separate speech to the Solicitors’ Costs conference, Jackson proposed that the legal profession revisit the idea of setting up a contingent legal aid fund (CLAF) that would operate as a not-for-profit third-party litigation funder to finance ‘ordinary’ litigation as well as ‘deserving’ cases.
The Bar Council backed the suggestion and said it had already opened discussions with CILEx and the Law Society to set up a working group, but said its viability and scope would need to be considered carefully.
Lord Justice Jackson has called for fixed legal costs to apply in all civil claims valued up to £250,000.
Currently, fixed recoverable costs only apply to personal injury claims valued up to £25,000. But the architect of the costs regime introduced by the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, has suggested there should be a fixed cost ‘grid’ for all multi-track cases worth up to £250,000, irrespective of their complexity.
Jackson urged the government to implement the change as a priority and said it could be introduced by the end of the year.
He told the Insolvency Practitioners Association that ‘high litigation costs inhibit access to justice’ and ‘if costs prevent access to justice, this undermines the rule of law’.
But Chairman of the Bar, Chantal-Aimée Doerries QC, warned that using the value of a case to determine costs could curtail access to justice, by making it economically unviable to take on complex cases.
‘A low value but legally complex case may demand a great deal more work than the allocated cost band will allow. This means lawyers may not take on complicated, low value cases, thus preventing legitimate claims from being pursued,’ she said.
She warned that the proposal could tilt the litigation playing field further in favour of big business and the state, which may well be willing to spend large sums of money – beyond what is recoverable.
In a separate speech to the Solicitors’ Costs conference, Jackson proposed that the legal profession revisit the idea of setting up a contingent legal aid fund (CLAF) that would operate as a not-for-profit third-party litigation funder to finance ‘ordinary’ litigation as well as ‘deserving’ cases.
The Bar Council backed the suggestion and said it had already opened discussions with CILEx and the Law Society to set up a working group, but said its viability and scope would need to be considered carefully.
Far-ranging month for the Chair of the Bar
Endometriosis Awareness North, a charity raising awareness of endometriosis and supporting those affected across the North of England, has received a £500 boost from AlphaBiolabs via the company’s Giving Back initiative
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs, examines the most recent data on alcohol misuse in the UK, and the implications for alcohol testing in family proceedings
Clement Cowley, Partner at The Penny Group, explains how tailored financial planning can help barristers take control of their finances and plan with confidence
Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
A £500 donation from AlphaBiolabs has been made to the leading UK charity tackling international parental child abduction and the movement of children across international borders
Seeing the full picture – Baljit Ubhey OBE outlines the CPS action plan to tackle violence against women and girls, offering insights directly relevant to courtroom practice
Heritage as an anchor and a compass, finding our common humanity and embracing the power of the outsider – Melina Antoniadis’s lessons learnt
Is the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office process fit for purpose? Women barristers’ experiences of bullying are not being reported or, if they are, they are not making it through the system, says Tana Adkin KC
Review by Daniel Barnett
Chair of the Bar reports back
