Litigation/Dispute Resolution
Huge delays persist in taking civil court claims to trial
Delays in cases going through the civil courts reduced slightly in the second quarter of 2021, but it still takes 49 weeks to get a small claim from issue to trial and 71 weeks for larger claims.
MoJ: “Strong justification” for increasing 129 court fees
There is “strong justification” for increasing 129 court fees by inflation, backdated to 2016, the Ministry of Justice has said.
Judge warns over ‘risk-free’ litigation under DBA backed by insurance
The High Court has warned about the potential unfairness to defendants facing a claimant operating ‘risk-free’ under a damages-based agreement and backed by after-the-event insurance.
Data breach ruling “could stem” tide of claims
A High Court ruling on a low-value data breach claim may stop claimants recovering after-the-event insurance premiums in cases involving cyber-attacks, reducing their viability.
High Court uses new guideline rates ahead of formal introduction
The new guideline hourly rates will not formally come into force until 1 October but the High Court yesterday took them into account when dealing with a summary assessment.
Costs judge rejects “regrettable” overcharging allegations
A judge has rejected claims by the wife of a convicted Kazakh businessman that she was overcharged by a London law firm for her asylum application.
Restrictions would “weaken rule of law”, third-party funders tell UN
The international body for third-party funders has told UNCITRAL that restricting the funding of treaty-based investor-state arbitrations would weaken the rule of law.
Tribunal finally grants first ever collective proceedings order
The Competition Appeal Tribunal yesterday granted the first ever collective proceedings order, allowing the £14bn Mastercard opt-out class action to go forward at last.
MR approves new guideline hourly rates but plans further review
The Master of the Rolls, Sir Geoffrey Vos, has approved the new guideline hourly rates while ordering a further review that will take into account changing working practices.
Judge right to consider “mystery” of who was funding law firm
A judge who had “no information at all” as to how the defence of a dormant law firm was being funded was right not to ignore the issue, appeal judges have ruled.
Expert witnesses “prefer preparing in-person for virtual hearings”
Expert witnesses prefer to travel to prepare themselves for a trial in person with their legal teams even when the trial itself is to be conducted remotely, a report has found.
Law firm and funder win fees claim after terminating retainer
A law firm and a litigation funder were entitled to end their retainers with a couple suing their former solicitors and should have their costs of £75,000, the High Court has ruled.
QC arbitrators in Man City case were not “beholden” to Premier League
The High Court has rejected a claim by Manchester City football club that there was apparent bias on the part of three QCs sitting on a Premier League arbitration panel.
Judge warns parties to expect sanctions for incorrect e-bundles
Judges’ patience with parties that fail to prepare electronic bundles with consistent page numbering is over and they can expect sanctions, the High Court has warned.
Major study proposes ODR to handle small business debt cases
An online dispute resolution platform would help solve the problem of late payment debt by providing SMEs with a quick and cheap alternative to traditional lawyer-based solutions.
Blog
Judging proportionate risk requires confidence. Do law firms have it?
As of 30 June 2026, the money laundering regulations have been updated again, this time to make the regime more proportionate and addressing unnecessary over-compliance.
Is clients’ use of AI destroying legal privilege?
Much has been written about the risks of lawyers misusing AI. However, in my view, the greater challenge lies elsewhere: the routine use of AI by clients themselves.
Does the Lloyd review mark the end of the Legal Services Act?
The Legal Services Board often generates eye-rolls and irritation from the leaders of the frontline regulators it oversees and of the representative bodies attached to them.
