Today’s roundup takes in the latest costs instalment in one of the largest live group actions, a Court of Appeal ruling on the reach of the authority to carry scheme, new market figures pointing to a shrinking pool of medical experts, and a lottery grant that doubles one charity’s support for litigants in person.
Military deafness litigation: £2.5m interim costs award against the MoD
Mr Justice Garnham has handed down a further judgment in Abbott v Ministry of Defence [2026] EWHC 2083 (KB) on 7 August, awarding the claimants interim costs of £2,515,194.95 on the common costs of the generic issues determined in his April judgment. The claimants put gross common costs at £9,738,983.15; after deducting a £1,355,000 payment on account, the judge allowed 60% of the net £8,383,983.15 as the costs of the generic issues, then made an interim award of 50% of that £5,030,389.89 figure. He invited submissions on the final form of the order, noting that the absence of a certified bill or schedule of costs had complicated the exercise. For a costs readership, the percentages and the treatment of the payment on account are the transferable part. The judgment is on BAILII.
Who can the authority to carry scheme cover?
The Court of Appeal has overturned an earlier decision that the authority to carry scheme, which lets the Home Office direct carriers not to bring specified individuals to the UK, was limited to terrorism cases. In R (FD) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2026] EWCA Civ 999, reported by Free Movement on 5 August, the court held that the only limitation on the Home Secretary’s power under section 22 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 to specify the categories of person to whom a scheme applies is that it must be necessary in the public interest. Carrier liability and pre-clearance is an under-covered corner of immigration practice, and the breadth of that test will matter to anyone advising a client refused boarding.
Is the medico-legal market growing again?
Research from IRN Legal Reports values the medico-legal market at £705m for 2025, up 4.1% and above £700m for the first time since the pre-pandemic peak of £791m in 2019, with growth of 4.4% forecast this year and between 4.5% and 5% annually to 2029. The warning sits on the supply side: authorised MedCo users fell below 1,000 to 975 at the end of June 2026, from over 1,300 in 2023, while active accredited medical experts fell to 429 from 513. IRN flags a looming shortage of experts, particularly in serious injury and mental health work, with an ageing expert population already causing hold-ups in claims; it lands against a court system that is tightening who may give expert evidence at all. Legal Futures reports the research.
Litigants-in-person charity doubles support after lottery grant
Blind Justice, a charity supporting litigants in person and legal education, has been awarded £19,000 by the National Lottery Community Fund, Legal Futures reports. Founder and chief executive Edward Romain said the charity, which currently supports 41 litigants in person, will use the grant to support a further 40 to 50 through a 12-month Brighton project starting in September, covering caseworker time, monthly drop-in sessions and local outreach. Blind Justice registered as a charity this year, having previously been a community interest company, and is explicit that its service is built around non-reserved support: it does not conduct litigation or exercise rights of audience. Provision for those ineligible for legal aid but priced out of representation remains patchwork, and locally funded projects of this kind are increasingly where it happens.