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17 December 2021 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 7961 / Categories: Opinion , Profession
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The insider: 17 December 2021

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Feeling starstruck? Dominic Regan sizes up the Master of the Rolls & takes shelter from recent grenades tossed into the world of costs management

I am not easily impressed. Many famous people have met me over the years. Wayne Rooney did make an impression at the Lowry Hotel in Manchester, where he stood on my tender foot without apology. Fortunately, Christina Lambert QC (as was) was in the foyer and came over to say hello, which was lovely of her.

Last month I spent 45 minutes in the presence of our Master of the Rolls (MR), Sir Geoffrey Vos, who had come to deliver the keynote speech at the Association of Costs Lawyers (ACL) Conference, a sell-out live event. We had a chat beforehand, and I was smitten. Modest, charming, and with a clear agenda for reform.

He thinks we have far too many rules. His beloved White Book, which he still uses to this day, was the 1999 edition. It was the last one to set out the Rules

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NEWS
A landmark Supreme Court ruling has underscored the sweeping reach of UK sanctions. In NLJ this week, Brónagh Adams and Harriet Campbell of Penningtons Manches Cooper say the regime is a ‘blunt instrument’ requiring only a factual, not causal, link to restricted goods
Fraud claims are surging, with England and Wales increasingly the forum of choice for global disputes. Writing in NLJ this week, Jon Felce of Cooke, Young & Keidan reports claims have risen sharply, with fraud now a major share of litigation and costing billions worldwide
Litigators digesting Mazur are being urged to tighten oversight and compliance. In his latest 'Insider' column for NLJ this week, Professor Dominic Regan of City Law School provides a cut out and keep guide to the ruling’s core test: whether an unauthorised individual is ‘in truth acting on behalf of the authorised individual’
Conflicting county court rulings have left landlords uncertain over whether they can force entry after tenants refuse access. In this week's NLJ, Edward Blakeney and Ashpen Rajah of Falcon Chambers outline a split: some judges permit it under CPR 70.2A, others insist only Parliament can authorise such powers
A wave of scandals has reignited debate over misconduct in public office, criticised as unclear and inconsistently applied. Writing in NLJ this week, Alice Lepeuple of WilmerHale says the offence’s ‘vagueness, overbreadth & inconsistent deployment’ have undermined confidence
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