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| 'This is a court of justice not a casino,' judge tells lawyers over their £1.1m fees | 'This is a court of justice not a casino,' judge tells lawyers over their £1.1m fees |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A high court judge has chastised lawyers for charging up to £400,000 each in their successful defence of a billionaire sheikh accused of being involved in the torture of a UK citizen, saying that this is a “court of justice not a casino”. | A high court judge has chastised lawyers for charging up to £400,000 each in their successful defence of a billionaire sheikh accused of being involved in the torture of a UK citizen, saying that this is a “court of justice not a casino”. |
| Justice Blake ruled last month that Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, a former Qatari prime minister worth an estimated £8bn, could not be sued in London over claims that agents acting on his behalf falsely imprisoned and tortured Fawaz al-Attiya, a British citizen and former official spokesman for the emirate. | Justice Blake ruled last month that Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, a former Qatari prime minister worth an estimated £8bn, could not be sued in London over claims that agents acting on his behalf falsely imprisoned and tortured Fawaz al-Attiya, a British citizen and former official spokesman for the emirate. |
| The high court said that since the sheikh had been appointed to a role at Qatar’s London embassy in November 2013, he was shielded by diplomatic immunity. | The high court said that since the sheikh had been appointed to a role at Qatar’s London embassy in November 2013, he was shielded by diplomatic immunity. |
| Hamad bin Jassim, known as HBJ, had hired David Pannick QC, Britain’s most prominent human rights silk, to head his defence team. Lord Pannick first shot to fame in the 1980s when he appeared for the Sunday Times in the Spycatcher case and has since defended the Queen, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rights of gay soldiers. | Hamad bin Jassim, known as HBJ, had hired David Pannick QC, Britain’s most prominent human rights silk, to head his defence team. Lord Pannick first shot to fame in the 1980s when he appeared for the Sunday Times in the Spycatcher case and has since defended the Queen, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the rights of gay soldiers. |
| Court documents show Pannick charged £407,250 for a defence involving a two-day trial in which he neither attended nor spoke. His colleague, Monica Carss-Frisk QC, who did appear, put in a fee for £228,150. | Court documents show Pannick charged £407,250 for a defence involving a two-day trial in which he neither attended nor spoke. His colleague, Monica Carss-Frisk QC, who did appear, put in a fee for £228,150. |
| At these rates of pay, Pannick would appear to be more expensive to hire than Lord Sumption, who was paid almost £8m – the highest fee in British legal history – for defending the Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich. Sumption, now a supreme court judge, charged that sum over 10 months – about £40,000 a day in court. | At these rates of pay, Pannick would appear to be more expensive to hire than Lord Sumption, who was paid almost £8m – the highest fee in British legal history – for defending the Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich. Sumption, now a supreme court judge, charged that sum over 10 months – about £40,000 a day in court. |
| The former Qatari PM had employed a City law firm – Macfarlanes - and four pre-eminent QCs, as well as two junior counsels. His legal bills run to more than £1.1m. This sum is being claimed from Al-Attiya, who will also have to cover his own costs, which amount to less than £200,000, with brief’s fees of £30,000. | |
| However, last week the judge intervened to halt the payments, saying that his “initial response to sums allegedly claimed is that this is [a] court of justice not a casino and costs must be reasonable and proportionate to the issue in hand and the sums identified by the claimant as those claimed by the defendant would not be”. | However, last week the judge intervened to halt the payments, saying that his “initial response to sums allegedly claimed is that this is [a] court of justice not a casino and costs must be reasonable and proportionate to the issue in hand and the sums identified by the claimant as those claimed by the defendant would not be”. |
| Justice Blake, who refused to hear Al-Attiya’s appeal in the high court, said he would make “no award for payment” because there was “no basis for forming an estimate of the defendant’s reasonable cost”. Instead, both sides will have to negotiate an agreed settlement of the costs. Al-Attiya is believed to be seeking permission to have the court of appeal hear his case. | Justice Blake, who refused to hear Al-Attiya’s appeal in the high court, said he would make “no award for payment” because there was “no basis for forming an estimate of the defendant’s reasonable cost”. Instead, both sides will have to negotiate an agreed settlement of the costs. Al-Attiya is believed to be seeking permission to have the court of appeal hear his case. |
| The issue of rising legal fees has been a source of much debate since the government first attempted to reduce costs with legal aid cuts for judicial review cases in 2013 – a move that provoked a backlash at the Bar and saw the current justice secretary rescind the bulk of the measures. | The issue of rising legal fees has been a source of much debate since the government first attempted to reduce costs with legal aid cuts for judicial review cases in 2013 – a move that provoked a backlash at the Bar and saw the current justice secretary rescind the bulk of the measures. |
| Last month, deputy judge Richard Spearman in a case involving Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, in a privacy action against Max Clifford said he had concerns about “disproportionality between the value of the claim and the costs involved”. | Last month, deputy judge Richard Spearman in a case involving Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, in a privacy action against Max Clifford said he had concerns about “disproportionality between the value of the claim and the costs involved”. |
| When contacted, Pannick, a columnist for The Times, said he had no comment to make on the judge’s words or his costs. The peer is a regular contributor to debates, and recognised as a “leader of the crossbenchers” and having an “incredible influence” in parliament. | When contacted, Pannick, a columnist for The Times, said he had no comment to make on the judge’s words or his costs. The peer is a regular contributor to debates, and recognised as a “leader of the crossbenchers” and having an “incredible influence” in parliament. |
| According to his website, Pannick has “appeared in 100 cases in the appellate committee of the House of Lords (before the opening of the new supreme court), and has argued more than 25 cases in the European court of justice in Luxembourg and over 30 cases in the European court of human rights in Strasbourg”. | According to his website, Pannick has “appeared in 100 cases in the appellate committee of the House of Lords (before the opening of the new supreme court), and has argued more than 25 cases in the European court of justice in Luxembourg and over 30 cases in the European court of human rights in Strasbourg”. |