Hugh James partner appointed to national working group
25 | 08 | 11
A partner at Hugh James
has been appointed to a national working party to look at civil
litigation in light of impending reforms. Mark Harvey,
partner and head of claimant litigation at Hugh James, is one of 17
selected lawyers across England and Wales who have been appointed
to the working party which has been put together by the Civil
Justice Council.
Mr Harvey, who is a
Member of the Civil Justice Council, is the only lawyer appointed
to the working group who is based in Wales.
The group has been put
together to help and assist with the implementation of secondary
legislation – including regulations and court rules – relating to
Lord Justice Jackson’s proposed reform of litigation
funding.
Justice Secretary Ken
Clarke confirmed earlier this year (June 2011) that the Government
will back Lord Justice Jackson’s reforms in addition to their plans
to cut their £2.1bn annual legal aid bill.
Recommendations made by
Jackson, which the Government intend to implement, include the
reduction of civil litigation costs and the abolition of the
recoverability of success fees and associated costs in ‘no win, no
fee’ conditional fee arrangements, with claimants to pay their
lawyers’ success fees instead. The current situation is that
unsuccessful defendants pay the lawyers’ success fees.
Mark Harvey says, “The
Government reforms and recommendations around civil litigation will
impact on litigation lawyers and their clients across the country,
and I am keen to ensure that both our current and future clients at
Hugh James continue to receive access to justice.
“Hugh James has a long
and proud track record of civil litigation and I’m confident that
this experience will enable me to make a valuable contribution to
this group. I’m pleased to have been appointed to this
important working party.”
The group is expected to
report back by the end of September.
Additional notes