Court Service publishes first group litigation orderThe Court Service has published the first-ever group litigation orders, with a child abuse case led by Cheshire law firm Abney Garsden McDonald receiving the reference 'GLO1'.Although two orders were apparently made slightly earlier - one involving alleged negligent psychiatric treatment in Yorkshire led by Irwin Mitchell and the well-known Cape asbestos case led by Leigh Day & Co - the Abney case is the first to be logged by the Court Service.A fourth group litigation order, relating to the Alder Hey hospital scandal, has also been published.The Civil Procedure Rules were amended last March to allow for group litigation orders, replacing the ad hoc system of multi-party actions.

They allow wider publication of the existence of orders, generic costs orders for the lead firm to undertake preparatory work for all cases, and courts greater management powers.Child abuse specialist Peter Garsden is leading the case on behalf of 18 firms for 50 former residents of Redbank School in St Helens, who allege sexual and physical abuse between the 1960s and 1980s.He said the new system meant 'there is much less chance of solicitors going their merry way alone [on a case] and costs escalating...

Inevitably it will save costs'.l Solicitors with clients claiming post-traumatic stress disorder at learning of the retention of organs and/or tissue following post-mortems of their children should contact Hill Dickinson in Liverpool.LINKS: www.courtservice.gov.ukNeil Rose