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Civil justice costs overhauled
Britain is set to overhaul the costs of increasingly “excessive and disproportionate” civil litigation in an attempt to promote access to justice – and encourage people to take out legal expenses insurance. One of the most senior judges published a series of proposals he said could cut litigation costs by “many millions of pounds”. Pulling the rug from under a thriving “no win no fee” legal industry, Rupert Jackson suggested making claimants, rather than defendants, pick up the tab for success fees – that can rise to 100 per cent of the size of the original claim – as well as for “after the event” insurance premiums to cover a potential loss.