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05 August 2010 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 7429 / Categories: Opinion , Costs
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No turning back

Who would have thought that a government in office for just two months would make a move upon costs reform and the implementation of Jackson?

Dominic Regan predicts bitter battles ahead as Jackson reforms gain pace

Who would have thought that a government in office for just two months would make a move upon costs reform and the implementation of Jackson? The announcement was unequivocal. This autumn the government will consult upon the most radical of proposals, namely, the ending of the recoverability of success fees and additional liabilities. The government is committed to early reform. Primary legislation is required; there is already a commitment to find parliamentary time to achieve this end.

Measures that would be easier to implement like the introduction of fixed fast-track costs are mentioned in passing and seem to be regarded as less urgent. Referral fees, a topic which has generated enormous debate, may well, I understand, be left alone on the basis that if people want to

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Bellevue Law—Lianne Craig

Workplace law firm expands commercial disputes team with senior consultant hire

EIP—Rob Barker

EIP—Rob Barker

IP firm promotes patent attorney to partner

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Muckle LLP—Ryan Butler

Banking and restructuring team bolstered by insolvency specialist

NEWS
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The AI revolution is no longer a distant murmur—it’s at the client’s desk. Writing in NLJ this week, Peter Ambrose, CEO of The Partnership and Legalito, warns that the ‘AI chickens’ have ‘come home to roost’, transforming not just legal practice but the lawyer–client relationship itself
A High Court ruling involving the Longleat estate has exposed the fault line between modern family building and historic trust drafting. Writing in NLJ this week, Charlotte Coyle, director and family law expert at Freeths, examines Cator v Thynn [2026] EWHC 209 (Ch), where trustees sought approval to modernise trusts that retain pre-1970 definitions of ‘child’, ‘grandchild’ and ‘issue’
Fresh proposals to criminalise ‘nudification’ apps, prioritise cyberflashing and non-consensual intimate images, and even ban under-16s from social media have reignited debate over whether the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023) is fit for purpose. Writing in NLJ this week, Alexander Brown, head of technology, media and telecommunications, and Alexandra Webster, managing associate, Simmons & Simmons, caution against reactive law-making that could undermine the Act’s ‘risk-based and outcomes-focused’ design
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