Regional costs judges and the procedures being proposed are an excellent idea and long overdue, but an opportunity has been missed (see [2005] Gazette, 24 November, 29).

Certainty we need regional costs judges on the seven circuits mentioned, but if we are going to recruit a cadre with routine experience of large cases, we will need true regional Supreme Court Costs Offices. For example, if we had a regional costs judge or judges in Manchester, they would regularly deal with bills of more than £50,000 as a matter of routine; in Bury, Burnley and Blackpool these will be rarities and the experience will be dissipated. Likewise, on the north-east circuit, there should be a regional costs judge in Newcastle, rather than in SMcarborough, Hull and every other small centre. If experience on the Wales and Chester circuit were concentrated, it should be in Cardiff and Chester; on the western circuit, a regional costs judge in Bristol would see a regular volume of heavy cases.


These places have high commercial importance, dealing with big commercial claims issued by large provincial firms. They need Regional Supreme Court Costs Offices with experienced regional costs judges and staff in a major city on each of the seven circuits. The proposal merely goes to a half-way house.


PB Houlan, head of costs management, Hempsons, London