Legal Affairs

James McDermott: The buck should stop with government in funding of civil lawsuits

It’s allowed in other jurisdictions but a third-party funding model inevitably short-changes both the system and the injured party

The Four Courts in Dublin: ‘Do we really want litigation to be conducted to maximise investor return rather than to ensure justice for a plaintiff?’ Picture: Fergal Phillips

The Irish-born judge Sir James Mathew famously claimed that “justice is open to all, like the Ritz Hotel”.

I’ve always felt that observation was unfair on the Ritz, where a five-day stay in a superior queen room is currently available for £4,000. That’s an absolute bargain compared to the bill of €1 million one might face after a week in the High Court for a complex commercial case.

And at least in the Ritz one ...