MORE ON THE ADVERSE IMPACT OF COURT FEE INCREASE: BLAME THE MO(i)J IF THE ECONOMY COLLAPSES

The impact of the court fee rise has reached the Global Legal Post with the headline that UK litigation specialist fear backlash against London over proposed court fee hike.  However it is likely to have a major impact on SMEs throughout England and Wales.

THE POST: INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION

The Post reports Geraldine Elliot, a parter in LPC

“London as a venue of big ticket litigation could come under threat from other locations if this fee increase is imposed….Lawyers will be considering using alternative jurisdictions for dispute resolution. New York court fees already compare favourably with those in the UK so any fee increase is likely to boost its popularity”

ITS TOUGH UP NORTH (AND FOR ANYONE TRYING TO RUN A BUSINESS)

If you don’t feel sorry for those involved in international litigation spare a thought for anyone trying to make a living as an SME. The Lancashire Business Review reports Peter Kaye from Linder Myers Solicitors.

“The rise in charges will make England and Wales one of the most expensive jurisdictions in the world to bring civil claims and our concern is that this will limit access to justice for many small to medium sized businesses.”

Most claims brought by SMEs are in the £25,000 – £75,000 bracket.  Even basic debt collection is going to be more expensive and more risky.

THE MO(i)J COULDN’T RUN A BUSINESS

I imagine that anyone who runs a business would be shocked by the quality of the research used to “justify” these increases. Businesses are extremely badly served by the MO(i)J.