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21 February 2014
Issue: 7595 / Categories: Features
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Book review: Cook on Costs 2014

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"It is an excellent handbook on the day-to-day issues that litigators, costs practitioners & judges face, guiding the reader step-by-step through procedure, theory & practice" 

 

Editors: Simon Middleton & Jason Rowley

Publisher: LexisNexis

ISBN: 9781405778749

Price: £120.00

Cook on Costs was described by Lord Justice Ward in Widlake v BBA Ltd as “the seminal text book on costs” and has been updated on a yearly basis for many years. The 2014 edition sees the editorship move from Michael Cook to Costs Judge Jason Rowley and Regional Costs Judge Simon Middleton. The latest edition is less a regular update and, in movie terminology, more a complete reboot of the franchise.

A complete reboot

The structure of the book has been completely reorganised, much to the overall benefit of the book’s usability.

The fact that this is a book written by judges working at the coal face of costs shines through on every page. This is a work that focuses on the practicalities of costs, both in terms of procedure and assessment.

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Foot Anstey—Jasmine Olomolaiye

Foot Anstey—Jasmine Olomolaiye

Investigations and corporate crime expert joins as partner

Fieldfisher—Mark Shaw

Fieldfisher—Mark Shaw

Veteran funds specialist joins investment funds team

Taylor Wessing—Stephen Whitfield

Taylor Wessing—Stephen Whitfield

Firm enhances competition practice with London partner hire

NEWS
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
Recent allegations surrounding Peter Mandelson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor have reignited scrutiny of the ancient common law offence of misconduct in public office. Writing in NLJ this week, Simon Parsons, teaching fellow at Bath Spa University, asks whether their conduct could clear a notoriously high legal hurdle
A landmark ruling has reshaped child clinical negligence claims. Writing in NLJ this week, Jodi Newton, head of birth and paediatric negligence at Osbornes Law, explains how the Supreme Court in CCC v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2026] UKSC 5 has overturned Croke v Wiseman, ending the long-standing bar on children recovering ‘lost years’ earnings
A Court of Appeal ruling has drawn a firm line under party autonomy in arbitration. Writing in NLJ this week, Masood Ahmed, associate professor at the University of Leicester, analyses Gluck v Endzweig [2026] EWCA Civ 145, where a clause allowing arbitrators to amend an award ‘at any time’ was held incompatible with the Arbitration Act 1996
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