CILEx joins others in pre-action letter on court fees

23 February 2015

The Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEx) has joined the Law Society, Bar Council and others as proposed claimants to a pre-action protocol letter challenging the decision to raise court fees. The letter, sent to the Lord Chancellor, asks for the Ministry of Justice to provide documents and answers to a series of important queries that did not form a part of the consultation process.

The Pre-Action Protocol letter represents the first stage of what could potentially lead to a judicial review. CILEx and the other organisations are challenging on the grounds that the Government does not have the power to raise fees for the purposes it stated in its consultation. There are also concerns that there is insufficient evidence to justify the increases, and that there was a lack of relevant information preventing consultees from providing considered and intelligent responses.

The proposed claimants are; the Law Society, Bar Council, Chartered Institute of Legal Executives, Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, Forum of Insurance Lawyers, Motor Accident Solicitors Society, Action Against Medical Accidents, Chancery Bar Association, and the Commercial Bar Association.