Judges do not necessarily go easy on litigants in person, Stephen Gerlis, retired district judge and recorder, writes in this week’s NLJ
This is the takeaway from a recent case where a farmer made a disastrous decision to represent himself and his wife, as defendants, in a claim relating to a multi-fuel pipeline beneath their land.
It’s a cautionary tale. Gerlis takes us through a humbling litany of mistakes on the part of the unrepresented litigant, and the judge’s response. It is not always possible for a judge to step in where a litigant in person veers off-track. Gerlis writes: ‘This leaves us with the understanding that any assistance from the court to litigants in person is going to be very limited indeed.’
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