Colm Nugent and Jasmine Murphy will be taking part in a roundtable hosted by The Legal 500 on 3rd September 2019 to discuss Litigants in Person and McKenzie Friends, and their impact on the court system from the perspective of the Bar. The aim is to explore, discuss, and share best practice on the subject, particularly on the following points:
· What is the real impact on cases where litigants in person are involved?
· What are the sensitivities involved with litigants in person examining witnesses?
· With reports of assaults on counsel by litigants in person, is safety a serious risk and can it be managed?
· Why has the government failed to regulate paid-for McKenzie Friends and what, if any, should such regulation look like?
Colm was recently instructed by Emma Jones of Leigh Day in the Wright v Troy Lucas & George Rusz case where he successfully persuaded the court to order a McKenzie Friend (Mr Rusz operating through the firm of Troy Lucas) to pay more than £260,000 by way of compensation after causing the Claimant, Mr Wright, to miss out on damages and incur huge costs in a medical negligence case. This is the first time that the High Court has ruled on the duty owed to the public by unqualified advisers, known as McKenzie Friends. You can read Colm’s article on the topic here.
