Lawyers fight to keep "rotten suing culture"
Lawyers have been banging on to justice minister Jonathan Djanogly how the current no-win no-fee system promotes their bank accounts access to justice.
But the quietly spoken justice minister, who has attacked Britain's "rotten suing culture", is giving this argument short shrift.
"My answer has been that what it promotes is access to justice for claimants. But justice is for defendants as well," he says.
He is now delighted that a storm has erupted over our civil litigation system including referral payments to insurance firms to pass on details of crash victims to claim management companies accused of plaguing people with text messages and phone calls as they seek business.
As David Cameron says, "sunlight is the best disinfectant," so shining the spotlight on what appears to be a legal money-go-round - primed by rising premiums paid by millions of law-abiding motorists - may well lead to the brakes being slammed on some of what may be regarded as the more unscrupulous practices.
Mr Djanogly will also be pushing legal changes to stop the compensation culture which has bred in Britain on the back of no-win no-fee.
Nicholas Cecil
Four years ago, I could insure my car for 160 pounds. Now the cheapest quote for just an old Micra is 350 pounds. So I do not own a car now.
Posted by: Bob | 07/01/2011 at 03:20 PM