Master Cook’s session at 7BR’s Skeleton Series featured in The Times: The Brief and The Law Society Gazette

7BR Skeleton Series is over for another year, but the conversations it has sparked look set to continue long after the final seminar concluded just over a week ago

7BR’s series of medico-legal seminars have come to an end, after 6 weeks and 18 expert speakers drew in over 100 solicitors through chambers’ doors and a further 100+ watching online across the country.

The seminars covered a range of topics and issues faced by those involved in Clinical Negligence cases, from The Psychological Impact and Adjustment to Spinal Cord Injuries in week 1, to Root causes of potential labour ward claims and the effects of Montgomery one year on in week 6.

However, one talk from the series seemingly stole the show – that of Master Cook, of the Queen’s Bench Division. Master Cook shared his thoughts during his session, Cost Budgeting v Fixed Costs, on government’s plans to impose a £250,000 cost cap on clinical negligence claims; stating he found them “profoundly worrying”. Though this was his personal view and not that of the wider judiciary, The Times: The Brief have reported on the session: “his comments will carry significant weight on the bench and across the legal profession”; you can read The Brief’s coverage here. The session was also in the spotlight on the front page of The Law Society Gazette, quoting the Master stating:

“What I find particularly concerning is how the [NHS Litigation Authority’s] concern over disproportionate costs in “lower-value claims” – that is, claims valued up to £25,000 – has morphed into a proposal to fix costs in cases up to £250,000.”

The full Law Society Gazette article can be read here.

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