Dominic Regan expresses dismay over the MoJ’s undermining of the Jackson Report
Sir Rupert Jackson kept his end of an onerous bargain. His remit was to regularise the litigation process, enabling litigants to secure justice at proportionate cost. His final report on publication was described as masterful by Lord Neuberger and the then Lord Chief Justice gave it his total support.
What went wrong? Plenty. The culprit was not the legal profession, which did not like some changes. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) failed to keep faith. In some areas it did the absolute opposite of what Jackson had recommended after a hefty two years of enquiry and reflection.
Most damaging reform
The single most damaging reform, which has meant that the litigation process is now worse than before the 2013 changes, has been the outrageous hike in court fees. The judiciary spoke with one voice in condemning the changes. The MoJ had decided fees were to rise and that was that. Incalculable damage has been done. If one thinks of the issue fee as the admission price to the court, it is clear,
