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Jackson starts to unravel

04 May 2012 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 7512 / Categories: Opinion , Costs
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Dominic Regan is alarmed by the undoing of the Jackson proposals

You could not make it up. Those determined to prevent the Jackson package of reforms from being implemented never landed an effective punch. However, it now seems that those charged with introducing reform are doing a fine job of botching the process.

Fixed costs uncertain

My understanding is that the very cornerstone of fast-track change, the introduction of fixed costs, is not going to happen next year. Sir Rupert was desperate for this because it would impose proportionality upon litigants, or at least what the legislature considered proportionate. No longer would inefficiency be rewarded. Those who made an elaborate meal of it would not be better off with higher-base costs and, in turn, a greater additional uplift (since the uplift is geared to the base costs figure). A tariff would apply and that would encourage the speedy, efficient resolution of disputes. Furthermore, a fixed regime would kill off the costs of

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