Latest news with #accessToJustice
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Court problems ‘real danger' to Britain's reputation if not tackled
There is a 'real danger' to Britain's reputation internationally if problems such as court backlogs are not tackled, a justice chief has said. The deputy president of the Supreme Court, Lord Hodge, told a committee of peers that as problems persist, it 'weakens our sell of the UK as a successful rule of law society'. He appeared alongside Supreme Court president Lord Reed, who said the sheer cost of access to the courts can be a barrier to access to justice, for example in family law. Asked by the Lords Constitution Committee if he saw access to justice as an actual threat rather than a potential one, Lord Reed replied: 'In some areas of practice, I think it is an actual threat. 'For example, if you're a rape complainant, and the trial is being fixed for 2028, then, you know, either you have a terrible strain hanging over you for years, or you decide that it's not worth it and just give up.' Lord Hodge added: 'We're acutely aware of the access to justice issue, and in our outreach work presenting the UK as a rule of law society, we're also aware that if the problem persists, it weakens our sell of the UK as a successful rule of law society.' He said while in commercial law people get an 'excellent service' in courts across the UK because there is money to fund the litigation, the real problem is for areas such as family or housing claims where there is not group funding. While it is not the responsibility for the Supreme Court top judges to campaign on the issues in those courts, overseen by the Lady Chief Justice, he said: 'I think all we can do is speak out in our extrajudicial lectures to warn of the real threat to access to justice and its wider impact on the UK's reputation.' Lord Reed said the issue was raised with international counterparts two weeks ago when being asked about how the UK operates, and was asked about how criminal justice is dealt with in the courts. 'I explained that there were problems with long backlogs, and people were very surprised to hear that,' Lord Reed said. 'And in fact, one of them said, the president of a constitutional court said, 'I'm very surprised to hear that because we regard the United Kingdom as a model'.' Lord Hodge added: 'So I think there is a real danger to Britain's reputation internationally if these problems aren't tackled, but neither Lord Reed nor I have any official locus beyond what we can say in lectures and things of that nature.' In criminal courts, the backlog for crown court cases hit a new record high by the end of last year at 74,651. Justice minister Sarah Sackman KC also warned the backlog 'could hit 100,000 by the end of 2029'. A review by Sir Brian Leveson is looking at how to overhaul the court system and is expected to give recommendations for reform this spring.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
UK urged to reverse ruling on litigation funding, introduce 'light-touch regulation'
LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) - Britain should urgently reverse a landmark ruling that threw third-party funding of lawsuits into disarray, an influential advisory body recommended on Monday in a report which was welcomed by funders and industry critics alike. The Civil Justice Council (CJC) also called for "light-touch regulation" of the litigation funding sector, which is currently self-regulated, particularly where funding is provided for class action-style lawsuits or to consumers. Monday's report comes after Britain's funding industry was dealt a surprise blow in 2023, when the UK Supreme Court ruled that agreements used to fund many mass lawsuits were unenforceable as they did not comply with rules on so-called damages-based agreements. The CJC said the government should pass legislation to overturn the Supreme Court's decision "as soon as possible", citing the importance of funding for access to justice. Britain's previous government, which asked the CJC to review the sector, said last year it would reverse the Supreme Court decision, before the current government put legislation on hold pending the CJC's report. The Ministry of Justice said in a statement that it welcomed the report and would "outline next steps in due course." The CJC – which advises the government and judiciary on the civil justice system – called for some regulation, including requirements for funders to have adequate capital and provisions to prevent conflicts of interest. It also recommended that class action-style cases need court approval of funding agreements, to allow the court to consider whether the funder's return is fair, just and reasonable. The report rejected, however, the introduction of caps on funders' returns, which the CJC said could not properly take account of the risks of funding cases and was unnecessary for consumer protection if courts had to approve funding deals. Neil Purslow – chair of industry body the International Legal Finance Association, who also founded litigation funder Therium – welcomed the CJC's recommendation to legislate to reverse the Supreme Court ruling. Seema Kennedy, executive director of Fair Civil Justice, which has called for greater regulation of litigation funding, said the CJC's call to regulate the industry was "long overdue". She said: "Proper oversight is essential to protect consumers, ensure transparency, and restore public confidence in a sector that currently operates without sufficient safeguards." Litigation funding is increasingly used in Britain, with the CJC citing figures that funders in England and Wales had assets of 2.2 billion pounds ($3 billion) in 2021. English courts have repeatedly recognised the need for funding to bring mass lawsuits, where the case's total value is often in the billions but payouts to individual consumers can be as low as double figures. The CJC report comes after court approval of a 200 million-pound settlement in a case against Mastercard, despite the opposition of funder Innsworth, which stands to receive around 68 million pounds.
Malay Mail
09-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Tembusu Law Launches Free On-Demand Legal Webinars to Expand Access to Legal Information
Singaporeans can access free e-books, videos, and expert Q&A sessions through the firm's digital platform. SINGAPORE - Media OutReach Newswire - 9 May 2025 - In a move to make legal guidance more accessible to the public, Singapore-based law firmhas announced they will launch a new on-demand legal webinar series and updated legal FAQ and eBook library, aimed at equipping individuals with reliable legal knowledge—completely free of part of its ongoing commitment to public service, the initiative provides access to expert-led webinars, covering common legal issues ranging from employment disputes and landlord-tenant conflicts to estate planning and criminal law basics. Each session includes video explainers, audio summaries, and downloadable e-books, allowing users to engage with the content at their own pace and in their preferred format.'Access to justice begins with access to information,' said Jonathan Wong, Managing Director at Tembusu Law. 'Our aim is to break down complex legal concepts and give people the tools they need to better understand and navigate their rights—without having to pay a cent or step into a law office.'The platform will also feature live Q&A segments, where participants can submit general legal questions to be answered by Tembusu Law's team of experienced lawyers in upcoming initiative reflects the firm's broader mission to use legal knowledge as a force for empowerment—particularly for individuals and families who may face barriers to traditional legal services due to cost, time, or will be available via Tembusu Law's website and social media platforms. Registration is free and open to the more information or to register for upcoming webinars, visit Hashtag: #TembusuLaw The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Tembusu Law LLC Established in 2019, Tembusu Law LLC is a Singapore based law firm that started both The Singapore Lawyer and Singapore Family Lawyer initiatives. Both initiatives were founded on a commitment to help people and driven by a calling to serve a higher purpose – to bring greater access to help, answers, fairness and justice. Tembusu Law LLC offers free consultations for all, and even pro bono services for those who are qualified.
South China Morning Post
08-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Could AI lawyers replace human barristers in Hong Kong's courtrooms?
A major barrier to access to justice, not just in Hong Kong but around the world, is the high cost of legal services. It may come as no surprise, then, that lawyers are a prime target for competition by artificial intelligence (AI) systems, particularly those systems that rely on large language models. Advertisement As early as 2015 in the United States, simple apps were developed that used AI to contest parking tickets or automate basic legal processes like filing forms. By 2023, it was reported that OpenAI's large language model, GPT-4, had passed the Uniform Bar Exam. Is it possible that barristers in court could one day be entirely replaced by AI systems with the ability to think and reason just like a human lawyer? The answer is not so simple. The law is often thought of as a system of logical rules, which would make its automation by AI particularly appealing. Unbiased machines ruled only by logic should be able to achieve a result that is perfectly just and free from error or outside influence. Large language models, in particular, which use the mathematics of probability to break down and reconstruct the logic of human language, seem especially suited for such a task. In some respects, that is certainly true, and so-called 'AI lawyers' have already been deployed by law firms across the world for more complex tasks such as drafting contracts and reviewing documents. Advertisement While the AI legal revolution has begun, it is not without its early hiccups. The increasing use of AI models by practising lawyers, such as for generating legal submissions, has thrown the spotlight on AI's tendency to 'hallucinate'.
