Judge blasts lack of cash to fund commercial court

TeCSA: Mr Justice Forbes attacks appearance of courtrooms

The judge in charge of the technology and construction court has hit out at the lack of funding for the planned new commercial court.

Speaking at the Technology and Construction Solicitors Association's (TeCSA) annual general meeting last week, Mr Justice Forbes said the lack of funding was regrettable, pointing to current inadequacies in and the poor appearance of the courtrooms where technology and construction court judges sit.

He said: 'The fact that the new commercial court project has stalled for lack of funding is another example of how the civil justice system still does not attract a sufficiently high political priority.'

Peter Rees, the Norton Rose partner who was re-elected as TeCSA chairman at the meeting, backed the judge's criticisms.

'The poor appearance of the technology and construction courts and the facilities available to parties there is a very poor advertisement for the English legal system and does nothing to encourage international clients to use our courts,' he said.

'They are often shocked by the inadequate size and facilities of our courtrooms and the lack of space and appropriate technology to deal with large and complicated cases.'

A Lord Chancellor's Department (LCD) spokeswoman acknowledged that the technology and construction court's facilities were inferior and said the LCD is committed to modernising them.

She said the government was still working out the implications of this year's spending review and was exploring the options for court modernisation with the senior specialist court judges.

The LCD's preferred option for the commercial court is to develop a new complex within the Royal Courts of Justice on the site of the Queen's Building.

Neil Rose