Smaller parties could be priced out of the justice process if government plans to raise court fees for a second time go ahead, the Bar Council has warned. It said a further hike would give the rich and big businesses an unfair advantage in any settlement negotiations, and small suppliers chasing big businesses for payment would be particularly vulnerable. Bar Council chair Alistair MacDonald said such an unfair advantage went against “every principle of justice”. The Bar Council was responding to a Ministry of Justice consultation on fees.
17 September 2015
Court fee rise will disadvantage smaller parties
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Gibson Dunn—Richard Surtees
Gibson Dunn adds employee benefits and executive compensation practice in London with partner Richard Surtees
Laytons ETL—Alec Cameron
Laytons ETL appoints new partner and head of intellectual property disputes
Muckle LLP—Roland Fairlamb
Specialist associate solicitor rejoins Muckle’s leading employment team
NEWS
A series of recent decisions has clarified important principles across property law, from perpetuities to lease renewals and public rights over land
Employers cannot rely on wellbeing services alone to defend workplace stress claims after a High Court decision awarding almost £1m to an overworked employee
Andy Burnham's brand of 'Manchesterism' could offer fresh thinking on legal aid and access to justice if it reaches Westminster, according to Roger Smith, NLJ columnist and former director of JUSTICE
The constitutional fallout from a change of prime minister, rather than the politics, is under scrutiny as questions arise over the limits of executive authority in a leadership transition
The legal profession is undergoing a fundamental shift from selling services to creating technology-enabled products, according to Professor Luke Mason, Head of School of Law at Regent's University London
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