Dieselgate England – A Pyrrhic Victory For Some In Emissions Litigation

The “Pan-NOx” litigation, as it became known, was England’s version of “Dieselgate.”

In 2023, a total of 13 group litigation orders against most of the world’s major car manufacturers were consolidated by the High Court in London.

The latest step was the prohibited defeat device (PDD) trial, heard by Lady Justice Cockerill between October and December 2025. It was billed as a “legal issues trial” and judgment was handed down on July 10, 2026.

All That Time, Effort and Expense, for What?

This was a monumental effort:

• 1,200 pages of written openings
• 2,000 pages of closing submissions
• 9,000 footnotes
• 10,000 pages of expert reports (excluding exhibits)
• 300 pages in the judgment
• 23 barristers from one set of chambers alone, Henderson Chambers