header-logo header-logo

Home Login E-newsletter About us

Class actions: All for one…

© Copyright LexisNexis 2025. All Rights Reserved.
26 July 2024 / Charlotte Hill
Issue: 8081 / Categories: Features , Profession
printer mail-detail
183106
Charlotte Hill provides an update on the pivotal role of group litigation in the English legal landscape
  • Presents a history of the evolution of group litigation in England, and outlines the three current regimes.

Group litigation plays a pivotal role in the English legal landscape. While traditionally associated with US legal procedures, group litigation (also known as class actions) have gained prominence across Europe and in the UK in recent years. Available in English courts for over a century, they form an integral part of modern English civil procedure. The increasing trend in group litigation can be attributed to factors such as access to third-party litigation funding and technological advancements, underscoring the evolution and acceptance of this practice in the UK.

Evolution of group litigation

While we have seen a large increase in the use of group litigation over recent years, this is not a novel concept for the English justice system. As far back as 1893, the Rules of the Supreme Court (the RSC) (the CPR’s predecessor) provided (at Order

If you are not a subscriber, subscribe now to read this content
If you are already a subscriber sign in
...or Register for two weeks' free access to subscriber content

MOVERS & SHAKERS

Read All
Sponsored by
Quinn Emanuel—James McSweeney

Quinn Emanuel—James McSweeney

London promotion underscores firm’s investment in white collar and investigations

Ward Hadaway—Louise Miller

Ward Hadaway—Louise Miller

Private client team strengthened by partner appointment

NLJ Career Profile: Kate Gaskell, Flex Legal

NLJ Career Profile: Kate Gaskell, Flex Legal

Kate Gaskell, CEO of Flex Legal, reflects on chasing her childhood dreams underscores the importance of welcoming those from all backgrounds into the profession

NEWS
Read All
Human rights concerns for patients, prisoners & immigration detainees
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Licensing fast-track for conveyancing & probate professionals
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Stress at work? Join the (employment tribunal claim) queue
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
NLJ this week: Cross-UK precedent, umbrella companies & whistleblowing liability
In NLJ this week, Ian Smith, emeritus professor at UEA, explores major developments in employment law from the Supreme Court and appellate courts
NLJ this week: Assignment of arbitral award enforcement blocked
Writing in NLJ this week, Kamran Rehman and Harriet Campbell of Penningtons Manches Cooper examine Operafund Eco-Invest SICAV plc v Spain, where the Commercial Court held that ICSID and Energy Charter Treaty awards cannot be assigned
Copyright © 2025 LexisNexis
back-to-top-scroll