header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us
05 April 2012 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 7509 / Categories: Opinion , Legal services , Costs
printer mail-detail

Jackson: the shifting sands

© Copyright LexisNexis 2026. All Rights Reserved.

Dominic Regan hears the latest from Sir Rupert Jackson

From the outset, Lord Justice Jackson has insisted that his reform proposals were to be seen and applied as a single, coherent package. There should be no cherry-picking or even staggered implementation. It is blindingly clear that the key planks will be implemented. The days of recovering additional liabilities are numbered and the big bang is set to occur on 1 April 2013.

Last month, I attended two talks given in the City of London by Sir Rupert (CLAN Conference, 12 March and SCL Lecture, 26 March). I have picked up a number of signals, some more explicit than others, which practitioners concerned about the future might like to note.

Fixed fast-track costs

The most significant is that fixed fast-track costs may not be implemented next year. Lord Woolf recommended them in 1996. It never happened. The Jackson perspective is that fixed costs will solve many problems. They will impose proportionality upon

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
NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law

NLJ Career Profile: Ken Fowlie, Stowe Family Law

Ken Fowlie, chairman of Stowe Family Law, reflects on more than 30 years in legal services after ‘falling into law’

Gardner Leader—Michelle Morgan & Catherine Morris

Gardner Leader—Michelle Morgan & Catherine Morris

Regional law firm expands employment team with partner and senior associate hires

Freeths—Carly Harwood & Tom Newton

Freeths—Carly Harwood & Tom Newton

Nottinghamtrusts, estates and tax team welcomes two senior associates

NEWS
Read All
‘Lost years’ precedent overturned
Children can claim for ‘lost years’ damages in personal injury cases, the Supreme Court has held in a landmark judgment
NLJ this week: Neutral counsel in a polarised age
The cab-rank rule remains a bulwark of the rule of law, yet lawyers are increasingly judged by their clients’ causes. Writing in NLJ this week, Ian McDougall, president of the LexisNexis Rule of Law Foundation, warns that conflating representation with endorsement is a ‘clear and present danger’
NLJ this week: Short lets & sharp covenants
Holiday lets may promise easy returns, but restrictive covenants can swiftly scupper plans. Writing in NLJ this week, Andrew Francis of Serle Court recounts how covenants limiting use to a ‘private dwelling house’ or ‘private residence’ have repeatedly defeated short-term letting schemes
NLJ this week: Justice at the algorithm’s edge
Artificial intelligence (AI) is already embedded in the civil courts, but regulation lags behind practice. Writing in NLJ this week, Ben Roe of Baker McKenzie charts a landscape where AI assists with transcription, case management and document handling, yet raises acute concerns over evidence, advocacy and even judgment-writing
NLJ this week: When ‘milk’ really means milk
The Supreme Court has drawn a firm line under branding creativity in regulated markets. In Dairy UK Ltd v Oatly AB, it ruled that Oatly’s ‘post-milk generation’ trade mark unlawfully deployed a protected dairy designation. In NLJ this week, Asima Rana of DWF explains that the court prioritised ‘regulatory clarity over creative branding choices’, holding that ‘designation’ extends beyond product names to marketing slogans
Copyright © 2026 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll