The Law Society has welcomed the publication of the Expert Group Report to Review the Law of Torts and the Current Systems for the Management of Clinical Negligence Claims. 

The solicitors’ representative body is urging the Government to implement its recommendations without delay. 

Published in December 2020, the report provides 17 recommendations for change in the area of clinical negligence claims, with six of these recommendations falling under the Department of Justice’s remit.

Commenting, director general Ken Murphy said: “The Law Society welcomes this report as an important step to improve the system of clinical negligence claims.

“Many issues that arise in this area do not occur in other personal-injury actions, so it is an opportunity to develop specific policies and procedures relating to these matters.”

Statutory provision

In August 2018, the Law Society made a submission to the Department of Health on the issue and highlighted the need to implement existing statutory provisions for pre-action protocols, and called for the extension of the statute of limitation period to three years.

“We are pleased to see these have been included within the report’s final recommendations,” Ken Murphy said.

“This is an area in much need of reform, and we commend Mr Justice Charles Meenan and the expert group for its work.

“We are now urging the Government to implement the report’s recommendations at the earliest opportunity,” said Mr Murphy.