Procedure

There is still “quite a lot of ignorance” among solicitors about adjudication as a “swift and relatively inexpensive” way of settling professional negligence disputes, a barrister adjudicator has said.

Requiring parties to submit to early neutral evaluation against their will is “not an obstruction to or constraint on” their access to the court, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

A High Court judge has taken to task an “embarrassing” medical expert who made “continual apologies” and used “an expletive” during his evidence.

A fraudster who drummed up false holiday sickness claims over several years has been jailed for 12 months. He was found guilty of intentionally assisting in the commission of an offence.

Nine new High Court judges have been named this week, all but one of whom attended Oxford or Cambridge universities. Though open to those without judicial experience, all have it.

The High Court has set aside judgment in default of defence in a £3m personal injury claim because, although the court was “unaware” of it, a defence had been served before the judgment.

The Court of Appeal has “reluctantly” ordered the retrial of a Commercial Court case after finding that the judge failed to address all the evidence before him. It said this was a “last resort”.

A court has the power to order early neutral evaluation even though one party has not consented to it, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

Insurance company Hastings today blamed claims inflation rising faster than premiums, along with the new discount rate, for sharply reduced profitability.

Professional negligence actions arising from lawyers under-settling personal injury and clinical negligence claims appear to be on the rise, a specialist barrister has warned.