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The insider: 19 March 2021

17 March 2021 / Dominic Regan
Issue: 7925 / Categories: Opinion , Procedure & practice , Personal injury
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Whiplash reform, class action claims & risky rule changes: Dominic Regan provides the inside scoop

Personal injury reform

In my last (which was also my first) column, I suggested that the personal injury small claims reforms might suffer a bump or two themselves (see NLJ, 12 February 2021, p6). While we now know that the whiplash reforms will come into effect on 31 May, it is gratifying to see that other injury claims are to be left alone after all. I know the Ministry of Justice says that further reforms are possible. The department might look at fixed costs for cases worth between £25,000 and £100,000. The Ministry promised to publish final proposals no later than 6 September 2019. It didn’t and hasn’t.

On employers’ liability cases, we saw the Association of British Insurers combine with Thompsons Solicitors to declare that neither side wanted change. There was no evidence of fraudulent claims and the respective lawyers got on very well.

Incidentally, it was Stephen Gold, legendary columnist

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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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