Government plans for dramatic increases in the cost of going to court could have a ‘profound impact on access to justice’, according to personal injury lawyers.
The Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) warns that a claim valued at £12,000 would come with a court fee increase of almost a third under the new regime. It adds the fee for a claim of £200,000 for a serious injury would be over five times (560 per cent) higher than it is today.
“The government’s claim that fees are not a major factor in a person’s decision about whether or not to go to court is completely disingenuous,” said APIL president John Spencer. “This move is bound to discourage people from making valid claims – people who have every right to make them. And the idea that seriously injured people making higher value claims are more likely to be able to afford the new fees is outrageous. The severity of an injury has nothing to do with the injured person’s capacity to pay. This new regime will dictate that some seriously injured people will be expected to pay £10,000 up front to bring their cases to court, and many simply won’t be able to afford it.” He said the planned increases have sparked criticism from both the judiciary and Civil Justice Council. “These people do not ask to be injured,” the APIL president said. “They are injured because someone else is negligent. To expect them, on top of all that, to pay a court fee which represents more than the actual cost of the service is simply unacceptable.”
Unions provide free legal support for members suffering injuries or diseases related to their work.
