Ritz justice

AJAG co-ordinator Andrew Dismore said:

“The Government do not care about the ability of ordinary people to enforce their rights. Their view of justice is based on the interests of big business insurance companies, not the person in the street. The winners under the Government’s plans are the insurance company major shareholders, the losers are ordinary people.

This is “Ritz justice”: anyone can go there, but only if you can afford it. Justice Ministers can, senior judges can, but the average “no win, no fee” claimant cannot.

Our research has shown that the typical “no win no fee” claimant is not wealthy, but lives on average or below average income. Their claims are mostly worth under £5,000- a lot of money to most hard working families, but not the millionaires in the cabinet who cannot, or will not, comprehend the impact of these changes on their victims.

The Bill is a sledgehammer to crack a nut, as senior costs judges have said:

“…we do not agree with the proposals….The CFA regime has undergone many changes and improvements since implementation. Having taken a decade for these to have been achieved, now is not the time to make radical changes which give no guarantee that access to justice at reduced costs will be delivered…the rules already provide the court with sufficient weapons on detailed assessment to ensure that on completion of the process, costs are reasonable and proportionate”.

Reform can be done far more simply and with far less disruption. After putting the NHS into turmoil, the Coalition seems determined to do the same to the courts. We expect this from the Conservatives but the Liberal Democrats ought to know better and defend access to justice not destroy it".