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Article

29 Jun 2011

Author:
Lisa Nandy MP, Hansard (official report of Parliament proceedings) [UK]

Legal Aid, Sentencing And Punishment Of Offenders Bill, House of Commons Debates 29 June 2011 [UK]

[Scroll down to 5.36 pm] Lisa Nandy…: I want to discuss a problem that the Bill creates for the victims of human rights abuses committed by UK-based multinationals operating overseas…the proposals on civil litigation costs…will make it virtually impossible to bring cases against multinationals…Teams of lawyers are required to work overseas…Such cases…are brought under a conditional fee agreement…Given the costs and risk incurred, law firms rely on the success fee to cushion them and to future-fund other cases. As the success fee will no longer be recoverable, the ability to take a case will be severely restricted…Taken with the proposal to prevent claimants from recovering after-the-event insurance, that will be absolutely devastating…I urge…[the Government] to think again about these cases…It is also the view of Professor John Ruggie, the UN special representative on business and human rights…That is why I am asking for exemption in these particular cases. [refers to Trafigura, Cape Plc, Rio Blanco Copper (part of Monterrico Metals)]