All plans to regulate contingency fees should be stopped pending the publication of Lord Justice Jackson’s Review into costs in December, the Bar Council has warned.
An amendment to the Coroners and Justice Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, would regulate contingency fees, which are often used in employment tribunal cases, protecting members of the public from being exploited by ‘no win, no fee’ lawyers.
However, in its response to the Ministry of Justice’s consultation on damages based agreements, the Bar said further consultation was required and called for their introduction via the Bill to be halted.
Costs specialist barrister Nick Bacon, who led the Bar’s response, said: “What is being proposed in the Coroners and Justice Bill as currently formulated is a wholesale reversal of the law against contingency fees.”
