In truth there were no great surprises in last week’s litigation costs announcements. The claimant lobbying effort has been significant but apparently to no avail and as generally expected Lord Justice Jackson will see his recommendations implemented.
There were a few points of greater interest in the county court reform consultation, notably the introduction of ‘pre-action dispute management’, the tripling of the small claims limit and the big mediation push. One cannot help but wonder if a national county court service is a precursor to more court closures.
