Society's News

Corporate Members 2022

3PB Albion Chambers Ashfords Barcan + Kirby Beale & Co Bevan Brittan BLM Burges Salmon Clarke Willmott CMS CMNO DAC Beachcroft The Family Law Practice Foot Anstey (including Enable Law) Freeths Fussell Wright GL Law Guildhall Chambers Irwin Mitchell Solicitors Lyons Davidson Marc White & Co Meade King Osborne Clarke Paragon Costs Solutions Queen Square Chambers Royds Withy King Simmons … more

BLS features in Bristol Post oldest thriving companies in Bristol

Excerpt from the article: How Bristol’s oldest companies are still thriving after more than 100 years in business They include the city’s last-surviving chocolate maker a wine merchant and a tannery. Why do some companies struggle to survive beyond a year while others flourish for hundreds? Although more than 90 per cent of small companies in Britain will survive one … more

BLS Annual Awards Dinner 3rd November 2022

Check out our digital Awards Brochure with a welcome from our C0-Presidents, full details of the award categories and links to our wonderful supporters who make this event possible. We look forward to celebrating the best of the local profession with you on 3rd November! BLS Awards 2022 Digital Brochure

Controversial new road accident costs rules to remain as High Court action fails

The Law Society has said that it regretted the failure of a High Court action brought by the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers (APIL) and Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS) against the Government, which sought to overturn its decision to reduce legal costs recoverable by people injured in road accidents.  The Law Society had intervened in the case, on behalf of its 160,000 solicitor members.

 

Desmond Hudson, Chief Executive said:

“We remain deeply unhappy with the new recoverable costs rules and the process by which the Government made its decision. However it was clear that the decision, however unfair we considered it to be, was going to be difficult to challenge. We will continue to impress upon Government the need to ensure that those injured through no fault of their own need to be able to seek redress, without putting themselves in severe financial difficulties.”

The High Court ruled that the Government’s decision (to reduce the fixed costs recoverable by claimants, where the pre-action protocol for low value personal injury claims in road traffic accidents applied) was properly reached.