Bar Council speaks out on Civil Justice

The Chairman of the Bar, Andrew Langdon QC has backed the Lord Chancellor’s comments on post-Brexit civil justice cooperation.

He said: “The Lord Chancellor yesterday emphasised the importance of maintaining civil justice cooperation with EU Member States and underlined the significant contribution the legal services sector and our system of justice make to the UK economy.

“Preserving certainty and uniformity for cross-border civil and family judgements is critical to the protection of millions of citizens who travel to or buy goods from other Member States. The same applies to thousands of small businesses which operate across borders.

“In support of business demand for continuity and certainty, the Bar Council has stressed to Government the importance of ratifying the 2005 Hague Convention on Choice of Court Agreements, and of trying to negotiate with the EU a replacement for the Brussels regulations which provide clear rules on which courts to use and how to get judgments enforced.

“The UK is a global hub for international dispute resolution and the predominance of English law in contracts around the world means the UK is an attractive place for business and investors.

“The Bar Council Brexit Working Group is supporting a number of parliamentary inquiries on Brexit and is working with Government and others to ensure the best possible outcome for the legal services sector, our system of justice and the public and economic interests which they serve.”