Woolf Reforms

the reforms to the civil justice system in England and Wales that followed the review of the civil justice system undertaken by Lord Woolf. He produced an interim report and a final report entitled Access to Justice. Many of his recommendations are reflected in the civil procedure rules that now govern civil litigation. A central feature of the reforms is that cases should be allocated to an appropriate 'track'. These are: the small claims track for simpler cases of low value; the fast track for cases involving £5-15,000; and the multi-track for complex cases. Also important is the idea that once a case is allocated to a track judges should manage its progress rather than, as in the past, that the parties and their lawyers should be in control of the speed at which the case progresses. Costs are strictly controlled and are expected to reflect the value of the cause.