header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us

An offer you can’t refuse?

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.
05 July 2024 / Colin Campbell
Issue: 8078 / Categories: Opinion , Costs , Privacy
printer mail-detail
Hugh Grant’s decision to settle his action for misuse of private information against NGN has shone a spotlight on the debatable fairness of CPR, Pt 36, says Colin Campbell

Mechanisms built into the Civil Procedure Rules 1998 (CPR) which encourage most cases to settle before reaching trial, are rarely a talking point outside the legal profession. In April, however, the actor Hugh Grant drew attention to the ‘rules around civil litigation’ in a lengthy thread posted on the social media platform X, relating to his own case against News Group Newspapers (NGN), the owners of The Sun. By implying that these very rules effectively forced him to settle his case, much against his wishes, Grant has pushed the specific role played by CPR, Pt 36 in civil proceedings to the fore. If someone with his global fame and considerable resources says he is unable to continue his case because of a rule hitherto little known outside legal circles, people sit up and take notice.

Hugh Grant’s interpretation

It

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

Read All
Sponsored by
Clarke Willmott—Declan Goodwin & Elinor Owen

Clarke Willmott—Declan Goodwin & Elinor Owen

Corporate and commercial teams in Cardiff boosted by dual partner hire

Hill Dickinson—Joz Coetzer & Marc Naidoo

Hill Dickinson—Joz Coetzer & Marc Naidoo

London hires to lead UK launch of international finance team

Switalskis—11 promotions

Switalskis—11 promotions

Firm marks start of year with firmwide promotions round

NEWS
Read All
LSB marks Mazur homework
Regulators differed in the clarity and consistency of their post-Mazur advice and guidance, according to an interim report by the Legal Services Board (LSB)
NLJ this week: Next gen wealth planning meets modern family reality
The next generation is inheriting more than assets—it is inheriting complexity. Writing in NLJ this week, experts from Penningtons Manches Cooper chart how global mobility, blended families and evolving values are reshaping private wealth advice
NLJ this week: Game on as AI reshapes sport
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming sport, from recruitment and training to officiating and fan engagement. Writing in NLJ this week, Professor Dr Ian Blackshaw of Valloni Attorneys at Law explains how AI now influences everything from injury prevention to tactical decisions, with clubs using tools such as ‘TacticAI’ to gain competitive edges
NLJ this week: Stuck in the past?
The Solicitors Act 1974 may still underpin legal regulation, but its age is increasingly showing. Writing in NLJ this week, Victoria Morrison-Hughes of the Association of Costs Lawyers argues that the Act is ‘out of step with modern consumer law’ and actively deters fairness
NLJ this week: No automatic bar on ‘user damages’
A Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruling has reopened debate on the availability of ‘user damages’ in competition claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Edward Nyman of Hausfeld explains how the CAT allowed Dr Liza Lovdahl Gormsen’s alternative damages case against Meta to proceed, rejecting arguments that such damages are barred in competition law
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll