Court and the legal profession

This topic contains information that applies to the civil courts generally, such as links to court guides published by the individual courts and details of fees charged in the civil courts.

For detail of the structure and hierarchy of civil courts in England and Wales, see: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary—Structure of Courts and Tribunals System.

Online dispute resolution and the online court

Lord Justice Briggs, in his Final Report on the Civil Courts Structure Review, which was published on 27 July 2016, recommended the creation of an online court for the resolution of certain disputes. Since that report, there has been much discussion among the judiciary and elsewhere of the concept of online dispute resolution (ODR) and the need for digitisation of the dispute resolution process for civil proceedings in England and Wales.

HMCTS has embarked on a significant reform programme for the justice system, part of which includes the introduction of pilot schemes to test online court environments, initially in County Court claims.

The Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022

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Latest PI & Clinical Negligence News

Court of Appeal guidance on class actions, lead claims, global claims and disclosure (Alame v Shell)

Dispute Resolution analysis: The Court of Appeal has given guidance on the proper procedure for group litigation on environmental issues. Allowing the claimants’ appeal against a decision requiring the claim to be pleaded as a ‘global’ or ‘all-or-nothing’ claim, the court held this was a ‘paradigm example’ of litigation which should be progressed by lead cases. The court also highlighted the importance of disclosure in placing parties on an ‘equal footing’. While the court should be alert to disallow ‘fishing expeditions’ on disclosure, it is a powerful tool for achieving justice in cases where there is a significant asymmetry of information. Written by Harriet Campbell, senior knowledge lawyer at Penningtons Manches Cooper LLP.

Claim for credit hire not defeated by lack of MOT (Ali v HSF Logistics Polska Sp ZOO)

Personal injury and clinical negligence analysis: This is the first time the Court of Appeal has considered the situation where credit hire charges are claimed following a road traffic collision damaging the claimant’s vehicle, yet the claimant’s damaged vehicle did not hold a valid MOT certificate at the time of the collision. Previous County Court decisions, and one Irish High Court decision, have held that such credit hire claims are unrecoverable based on illegality and/or causation arguments. In a rare second appeal, the Court of Appeal took a different view to the lower courts and allowed the credit hire charges to be recovered. It considered that the fact that the car did not have a valid MOT certificate did not prevent damages being recovered for loss of use. Further, it would be disproportionate to bar the claim on the grounds of illegality. Written by Jasmine Murphy, barrister, at Gatehouse Chambers.

ACSO criticises government's response to medical reporting process consultation

The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has expressed concern over the government's protracted response to the 2023 consultation on revisions to the medical reporting process for road traffic accident claims. The government plans to implement inflationary increases to fixed costs medical reports in 2025, marking an 11-year gap since fees were last set in 2014. ACSO highlights the detrimental impact on the medico-legal sector, noting a significant decrease in medical reporting organisations due to commercial challenges. The organisation criticises the inconsistency in reviewing fixed fees across civil justice, emphasising the resulting difficulties for firms in planning and investment. ACSO calls for the ongoing motor insurance taskforce to address these issues and consider the imbalance between defendant insurers and consumer representatives created by fixed costs.

Minutes of the CPR Committee meeting—1 November 2024

The minutes of the CPR Committee (CPRC) meeting of 1 November 2024 (conducted in a hybrid format at The Rolls Building (Royal Courts of Justice) and via video conference) cover a number of issues including the Law Commission consultation on the law of contempt, Closed Material Procedure, Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024, the outcome of the Workplace Claims consultation and costs budgeting light.

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