header-logo header-logo

Class actions: All for one…

26 July 2024 / Charlotte Hill
Issue: 8081 / Categories: Features , Profession
printer mail-detail
183106
Charlotte Hill provides an update on the pivotal role of group litigation in the English legal landscape
  • Presents a history of the evolution of group litigation in England, and outlines the three current regimes.

Group litigation plays a pivotal role in the English legal landscape. While traditionally associated with US legal procedures, group litigation (also known as class actions) have gained prominence across Europe and in the UK in recent years. Available in English courts for over a century, they form an integral part of modern English civil procedure. The increasing trend in group litigation can be attributed to factors such as access to third-party litigation funding and technological advancements, underscoring the evolution and acceptance of this practice in the UK.

Evolution of group litigation

While we have seen a large increase in the use of group litigation over recent years, this is not a novel concept for the English justice system. As far back as 1893, the Rules of the Supreme Court (the RSC) (the CPR’s predecessor) provided (at Order

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Birketts—trainee cohort

Birketts—trainee cohort

Firm welcomes new cohort of 29 trainee solicitors for 2025

Keoghs—four appointments

Keoghs—four appointments

Four partner hires expand legal expertise in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Brabners—Ben Lamb

Real estate team in Yorkshire welcomes new partner

NEWS
Robert Taylor of 360 Law Services warns in this week's NLJ that adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) risks entrenching disadvantage for SME law firms, unless tools are tailored to their needs
The Court of Protection has ruled in Macpherson v Sunderland City Council that capacity must be presumed unless clearly rebutted. In this week's NLJ, Sam Karim KC and Sophie Hurst of Kings Chambers dissect the judgment and set out practical guidance for advisers faced with issues relating to retrospective capacity and/or assessments without an examination
Delays and dysfunction continue to mount in the county court, as revealed in a scathing Justice Committee report and under discussion this week by NLJ columnist Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School. Bulk claims—especially from private parking firms—are overwhelming the system, with 8,000 cases filed weekly
Charles Pigott of Mills & Reeve charts the turbulent progress of the Employment Rights Bill through the House of Lords, in this week's NLJ
From oligarchs to cosmetic clinics, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) target journalists, activists and ordinary citizens with intimidating legal tactics. Writing in NLJ this week, Sadie Whittam of Lancaster University explores the weaponisation of litigation to silence critics
back-to-top-scroll