Freezing hourly rates may hinder access to justice, says Jon Lord
The Master of the Rolls, Lord Dyson, has finally dampened the fire that has been the discussion as to whether the guideline hourly rates should go up or down by concluding, after discussions with the Law Society, that there is insufficient data to move them at all and that there are insufficient funds to conduct the required research. To add insult to injury, he doubted whether there would be enough firms willing to participate in the research in any event.
Existing guideline hourly rates, which were last updated in 2010, will therefore remain relevant, he said, for the foreseeable future, without giving any indication as to how far into the future his crystal ball can see.
Practical implications
At least we now know where we stand but what are the practical implications of that decision?
At the top end, it is unlikely to make any discernible difference. Complex commercial City litigation left guideline hourly rates behind a long time ago and while lip
