Through out his career as a barrister he has advised, provided opinions, negotiated and represented clients concerning commercial matters in the High Court and the Technology and Construction Courts on matters relating to Land & Property, Negligent actions and Building & Engineering disputes.

Prior to commencing and/or defending an action in litigation it is prudent to legally and technically appraise the case on its strengths and weaknesses identifying supporting evidence and then provide an analysis of the risks both financial and non-financial – concluding with a strategy open to the client keeping the costs of the action within reason and in proportion.

Lord Diplock in Bremer v South India Shipping [1981] A.C 909 provided:

“Every civilised system of government requires that the state should make available to all its citizens a means for the just and peaceful settlement of disputes between them as to their respective legal rights. The means provided are courts of justice to which every citizen has a constitutional right of access in the role of plaintiff to obtain the remedy to which he claims to be entitled in consequence of an alleged breach of his legal or equitable rights by some other citizen, the defendant.”

The Civil Procedure Rules govern the procedures in litigation. Lord Woolf in “Access to Justice” June 1995 provided:

“In considering the problems of the civil justice system I have had in mind the basic principles which should be met by a civil justice system so that it ensures access to justice:

  1. It should be just in the result it delivers
  2. It should be fair and be seen to be so by:

    ensuring that litigants have an equal opportunity, regardless of their resources, to assert or defend their legal rights;

    providing every litigant with an adequate opportunity to state his own case answer his opponent’s;

    treating like cases alike.
  3. Procedures and cost should be proportionate to the nature of the issues involved.
  4. It should deal with cases with reasonable speed.
  5. It should be understandable to those who use it.
  6. It should be responsive to the needs of those who use it.
  7. It should provide as much certainty as the nature of particular cases allows.