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Justice Secretary Ken Clarke has told the Commons that lawyers would no longer be able to claim "success fees" from the losing side, and should instead receive a share of the damages. The government says it hopes the changes will act as a disincentive to anyone bringing "spurious cases". But shadow justice secretary Sadique Khan warned they "could restrict access to justice" for poorer claimants.
The proposals follow a review carried out by Lord Justice Jackson in 2010 at the request of the previous government. The judge found huge rises in civil litigation costs in England and Wales in recent years and said reforms could save people millions. According to the BBC's legal correspondent, Clive Coleman, critics say the scheme can encourage unscrupulous lawyers to take frivolous accusations to court.
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