Dominic Regan salutes Sir Rupert’s return
After a prolonged silence Lord Justice Jackson is back with more radical reform proposals. He appeared at a public event for the first time this year, delivering the keynote speech at the Costs Law and Practice Conference last month.
With utmost restraint Sir Rupert pointed out that the dreaded decision in Mitchell v News Group Newspapers Ltd [2013] EWCA Civ 1537, [2014] 2 All ER 430 was nothing to do with him (Sir Rupert was off on holiday when the case went to the Court of Appeal, yet in the eyes of many Mitchell was synonymous with Jackson). Indeed, at para 96 of Denton v TH White Ltdr; Decadent Vapours Ltd v Bevan; Utilise TDS Ltd v Davies [2014] EWCA Civ 906, [2014] All ER (D) 53 (Jul), he made it clear that he had never advocated a climate of almost zero tolerance. Mitchell completely overshadowed the vast package of reforms delivered and quietly implemented.
