We previously covered this topic at the end of last year when
the Act was still a Bill and you can read that article
here.
The Act received Royal Assent on 5 June 2018, which is just over
a year after it was first introduced to the Scottish Government as
a Bill. However, it marks the end of a long process that began with
Lord Gill's review of the Civil Courts in Scotland back in
September 2009 and Sheriff Principal Taylor's Review of
Expenses and Funding of Civil Litigation in Scotland, which
followed in October 2013.
The principal policy objective of the Act is to increase access
to justice by creating a more accessible, affordable and equitable
civil justice system. Primarily, this is going to be achieved by
making the costs of court action more predictable and increasing
the funding options available to those pursuing civil claims.
However, the Act also makes changes to the role of Auditors of
Court and introduces the prospect of group proceedings (a type
