Review of Civil Litigation Costs - Pack of Preliminary and Final Reports (Paperback)

Lord Justice Jackson was required: to review the rules and principles governing the costs of civil litigation and to make recommendations in order to promote access to justice at proportionate cost; to review case management procedures; to have regard to research into costs and funding; to consult widely; to compare our costs regime with those of other jurisdictions; and, to prepare a report setting out recommendations with supporting evidence by 31st December 2009. A preliminary report was issued in May 2009 and is also published alongside the final report (ISBN 9780117064034). Major recommendations cover: conditional fee agreements, of which 'no win, no fee' agreements are the most common species, and which have been the major contributor to disproportionate costs; success fees and ATE (after-the-event) insurance premiums should cease to be recoverable from unsuccessful opponents in civil litigation; success fees should come out of the damages awarded to the client; awards of general damages should be increased by 10 per cent, and the maximum amount of damages that lawyers may deduct for success fees be capped at 25 per cent of damages; lawyers should not be permitted to pay referral fees in respect of personal injury cases; qualified one way costs shifting, taking away the need for ATE insurance; fixed costs in fast track litigation; and, establishment of a Costs Council. Other sections of the report deal with: other funding issues; personal injuries litigation; some specific types of litigation; and, controlling the costs - including preaction protocols, greater use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), disclosure, case and costs management by the judiciary.