Government presses ahead with whiplash reforms – but gives ground on other PI claims
The small claims limit will rise to £5,000 for whiplash cases, but only £2,000 for other personal injury claims, the Ministry of Justice announced today in a bid “to crack down on the compensation culture epidemic” – less than seven weeks after its consultation closed. There will be a fixed tariff to cap whiplash compensation pay-outs.
Relate puts pioneering online divorce project on hold
A project to create the first online dispute resolution system for divorcing and separating couples in the UK has been put on hold, Legal Futures has been told. Relate, the country’s largest provider of relationship support, received no government funding for the project, and instead relied on private backers, including Google.
CILEx unveils governance rethink with an eye to regulatory independence
The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) has unveiled major governance reform that it said prepares the body for the government making legal regulators entirely independent. Crucially, it said the changes would ensure that CILEx continues to be viable as a professional body without receiving any income from practising fees.
Online court “visible by September and no big bang”, top judge reveals
The first signs of an online court will be visible in tribunals by September, online processes will be extended to a wide range of civil court proceedings by May 2020, and the reforms will be incremental, according to one of the judges in charge.
Court of Appeal: law firms must comply with data requests even if purpose is to aid litigation
Law firms must comply with data requests even if the purpose for seeking the documents is assisting in litigation, the Court of Appeal has ruled. Overturning the High Court, Lady Justice Arden held that a data request was not invalid if made for the “collateral purpose of assisting in litigation”.
Ministry of Justice plays down job loss fears over whiplash reforms
The Ministry of Justice has rejected the suggestion that as many as 60,000 jobs could be lost as a result of its personal injury reforms, saying that the legal market has “long proven itself to be adaptable and innovative”.
Lord Chief Justice “strongly opposes” accountants’ bid to handle litigation and advocacy work
The Lord Chief Justice has outlined his “strong opposition” to a bid to allow accountants to handle tax litigation and advocacy work – and in return come under fire from the body that would regulate them. Lord Thomas described the application by the Institute for Chartered Accountants in England and Wales as “entirely premature”.
UK first as Ulster University launches legal innovation centre
Ulster University launched the UK’s first legal innovation centre last night, bringing together its law school, school of computing and intelligent systems, and global law firms Allen & Overy and Baker McKenzie. It aims to operate at the intersection between legal process innovation, technology and access to justice.
Downward trend in conveyancing firms stopped in its tracks as work volumes rise
The total number of law firms registering conveyancing transactions rose 4% in 2016 to 5,572, halting five years going the other way, and they are busier than before the financial crash, new figures have shown. However, the overall trend of active conveyancing firms has been steeply downwards in the last decade.
Lawyers sue to discover extent of information obtained by “corporate spy”
A solicitor and barrister who act for an anti-asbestos campaign are in a legal battle over what confidential and privileged information was passed on by a supposed TV documentary maker who was actually placed in the campaign to spy on its activities.
