Grand finale in the big tent

There was a stage at the Civil Justice Council's costs forum last weekend when the big tent looked like turning into a big circus.

A small group of key players had gone into a separate room for intense negotiations, urgent conversations were being held in corners, and the rest of the delegates wondered why they were there.

It seemed at first as if the need to end the forum with a result was driving matters too quickly, but, eventually, everyone finished at virtually the same point and in general agreement as to the way forward.

Much credit must go to the parties and the council.

This is just a start, albeit a significant one.

The end of the 'guerrilla warfare', as it was described, of insurers' technical challenges to conditional fee agreements is also vital to make the system work and cool down tensions between the sides.

The government seems finally seized of this, but changes to the regulations will take time and it is for solicitors on all sides to act on the current spirit of slightly reluctant but realistic dtente.

After such concentration on costs, the council is now looking to turn its attention to expert witnesses.

As our Expert Witness supplement - which goes to each law firm this week - explains, this is also an urgent and tricky topic.

The council has fast become the kind of body that, if it were not already there, people would be clamouring for it to be invented.