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If you read the consultation paper, the civil courts actually make a profit. The family court system however makes a loss and the decision has been taken to increase civil court fees in order to cross-subsidise family court expenses. One of the alternative options (which I am sure has not been shelved and will be revisited in future) was to increase family application fees and divorce petition fees (the latter to £750!).

Quite why a builder who wishes to recover his unpaid fee, or an insurer paying legal costs to a successful claimant should be required to pay towards the training costs of family panel magistrates, I am not exactly sure. No doubt there is some moral principle engaged which says that this is just and fair. I personally do not know what that principle is, though.

Secondly, whomever wrote the article has really got themselves in a twizz about possession proceedings. There is no fee payable to the court for serving a section 8 or section 21 notice, as these documents are served by or on behalf of the landlords as a pre-requisite to commencing a possession claim.

Once the notice has been served, proceedings can be commenced, either through a court (fee increased from £175 to £280), or - for a section 8 or mortgage claim only - through the online system (fee increased from £100 to £250).

I have never heard of an "accelerated section 21 notice", and I am sure my landlord clients will be delighted if one exists (although tenants and their advisers will no doubt be up in arms). Or maybe it is a new method of service. The notice is rolled in a ball, and "accelerated" towards the letterbox, or something? There is an accelerated possession procedure, however, which is probably what the writer intended to refer to.