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Civil way: 27 June 2025

CFO not so special; whiplash pain; abusive legal aid; NDA reform

LAW BITES

Have mercy They’ve done it again. The Court Funds Office’s (CFO’s) special account rate has predictably dropped in response to the last Bank of England’s base rate reduction, from 4.50% to 4.25% as from 30 May 2025. Revise interest calculations for personal injury specials accordingly. The NLJ scissors remain mislaid and so you might take a look at ‘Civil way’, NLJ, 17 January 2025, p15. Should CFO special account invested funds be transferred over to an outside investment by the litigation friend, subject to court agreement? It is unlikely that a fixed-term ISA would currently yield a better rate of return. A fixed-term non-ISA might do so.

Whiplash cash Over six months after the outcome of the Lord Chancellor’s statutory review of the whiplash reforms was announced (see ‘Civil way’, 174 NLJ 8098, p15), there is legislation which gives effect to her conclusions. To the chagrin of the personal injury claimant

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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
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