header-logo header-logo

Civil way: 1 March 2024

01 March 2024 / Stephen Gold
Issue: 8061 / Categories: Features , Procedure & practice , Civil way , Litigants in person
printer mail-detail
Havin' the Latin; Dr Gold's CPR prescription

IGNORANTIA JURIS NON EXCUSAT

The litigants in person (LiPs) in Greenwood and another v Pringle [2024] EWHC 84 (Ch) do not appear to have got much procedurally right. But as Judge Paul Matthews pointed out, being a LiP is not a good reason for breach of a procedural order (see Barton v Wright Hassall [2018] UKSC 12 and post-Sumption, Mainline Pipelines Ltd v Phillips and another [2023] EWHC 2146 (Ch)); nor are living abroad or being elderly or impoverished.

The LiPs here were seeking, among other things, to overturn an order setting aside their statutory demand with a £4,680 costs order against them. Out of two directions given of which they were in breach, one of them (the likes of which have been known to cause even seasoned litigants to spit tacks) was for the filing of a transcript of the judgment below. They contended it was not necessary and the transcript was too expensive (they having asked for one of the

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

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Tech companies will be legally required to prevent material that encourages or assists serious self-harm appearing on their platforms, under Online Safety Act 2023 regulations due to come into force in the autumn
Commercial leasehold, the defence of insanity and ‘consent’ in the criminal law are among the next tranche of projects for the Law Commission
The Bar has a culture of ‘impunity’ and ‘collusive bystanding’ in which making a complaint is deemed career-ending due to a ‘cohort of untouchables’ at the top, Baroness Harriet Harman KC has found
Lawyers have broadly welcomed plans to electronically tag up to 22,000 more offenders, scrap most prison terms below a year and make prisoners ‘earn’ early release
David Lammy, Ellie Reeves and Baroness Levitt have taken up office at the Ministry of Justice, following the cabinet reshuffle
back-to-top-scroll