AJAG submits anti-Jackson argument to MOJ
The Access to Justice Action Group (AJAG) has today submitted its response to the Ministry of Justice Green Paper on implementing the Jackson review, arguing that the proposed reforms will hinder access to justice.
According to AJAG, access to justice for ordinary people will be severely curtailed by the proposals. It’s response includes 60 case examples of how people will be adversely affected.
AJAG says that the Green Paper proposals would lose important checks in the current system that prevent bad cases going forward and would lead to expensive “satellite litigation” to interpret the proposed vague rules. The response also argues that the proposals would discriminate against middle income claimants; would leave many people with unaffordable legal bills for disbursements; and a very high proportion of claimants significantly worse off.
AJAG Co-ordinator and MP Andrew Dismore said:
“Our extensive consumer survey shows that the biggest fear people have when enforcing their rights is the risk of legal costs. Over three quarters of people would not start a case even if the costs risk was very small. There are better and fairer ways of controlling legal bills.
“AJAG has proposed a comprehensive package that both maintains access to justice and helps keep costs down. We hope the Government will listen to what we have to say, to make sure that people who are injured through no fault of their own and small businesses in dispute with big companies can continue to seek justice with the current certainty as to what their financial risk may be”.
