header-logo header-logo

The litigation end game

11 May 2010 / David Greene
Categories: Opinion , Constitutional law
printer mail-detail

Voting fiasco may give rise to increase in election litigation

The litigation process gained a substantial airing during election night. Would-be voters locked out of polling booths cried of conspiracy and a breach of their human rights.

The papers were full of talk of actions being brought by “barred” voters to right the wrong of their exclusion. Elections usually give rise to some litigation as the parties and candidates fight over the way in which the election was conducted in an attempt to overturn the returning officers’ decisions. 

This election might give rise to a rise in election litigation, particularly where there are very small majorities and there have been instances of exclusion of voters. 

In the longer term, what does a new government promise for the civil justice system? Unfortunately, whatever the colour of the government formed, it is highly likely that civil justice will be the subject of further cuts.

The civil justice process is likely to be a victim of further cuts in public expenditure. Civil justice is the poor cousin

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

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan—Andrew Savage

Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan—Andrew Savage

Firm expands London disputes practice with senior partner hire

Druces—Lisa Cardy

Druces—Lisa Cardy

Senior associate promotion strengthens real estate offering

Charles Russell Speechlys—Robert Lundie Smith

Charles Russell Speechlys—Robert Lundie Smith

Leading patent litigator joins intellectual property team

NEWS
The government’s plan to introduce a Single Professional Services Supervisor could erode vital legal-sector expertise, warns Mark Evans, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, in NLJ this week
Writing in NLJ this week, Jonathan Fisher KC of Red Lion Chambers argues that the ‘failure to prevent’ model of corporate criminal responsibility—covering bribery, tax evasion, and fraud—should be embraced, not resisted
Professor Graham Zellick KC argues in NLJ this week that, despite Buckingham Palace’s statement stripping Andrew Mountbatten Windsor of his styles, titles and honours, he remains legally a duke
Writing in NLJ this week, Sophie Ashcroft and Miranda Joseph of Stevens & Bolton dissect the Privy Council’s landmark ruling in Jardine Strategic Ltd v Oasis Investments II Master Fund Ltd (No 2), which abolishes the long-standing 'shareholder rule'
In NLJ this week, Sailesh Mehta and Theo Burges of Red Lion Chambers examine the government’s first-ever 'Afghan leak' super-injunction—used to block reporting of data exposing Afghans who aided UK forces and over 100 British officials. Unlike celebrity privacy cases, this injunction centred on national security. Its use, the authors argue, signals the rise of a vast new body of national security law spanning civil, criminal, and media domains
back-to-top-scroll