What has gone so badly wrong with budgeting, asks Dominic Regan
It was a simple question that I asked Sir Rupert Jackson three years ago. “Which is the single most important of your reforms?” “Budgeting,” he replied in an instant.
Today, Jackson LJ is back on the road, taking soundings to improve or perhaps even preserve his precious concept. What has gone so badly wrong?
Many judges felt they received inadequate training. One wrote and asked if he could have my notes as he had received nothing. There is widespread deep-rooted resentment about this task which has added another layer of work to the task of case management.
Promising pilot
The process was piloted in defamation, construction and technology before being rolled out in 2013. I observed the Birmingham pilot at the request of Sir Rupert. I had an open mind. What I saw was deeply impressive. HH Judge Simon Brown QC got on with it. “Case management is costs management and vice versa” was his mantra. Despite applying a light touch and
