Extended Fixed Recoverable Costs Stocktake

At its meeting in February 2025, the Civil Procedure Rule Committee (‘Committee') decided, provisionally, to postpone the extended Fixed Recoverable Cost (‘FRC’) stocktake, which was initially planned for February 2025, until October 2025. The Committee intends to use its open meeting in May 2025 to gauge interest in the stocktake and any views expressed will feed into the stocktake consultation.

The MoJ intends to prepare, in outline, a draft stocktake consultation by 23 May 2025, after reviewing the issues from the FRC Working Group and the points submitted during the May open meeting. The MoJ also noted that it is planning a separate, general post-implementation review of the extended FRC regime in 2026.

The EWI has a considerable interest in the stocktake and the matters that will be considered and will be providing our view at the May open meeting. If you have any views on the issues which should be included in the stocktake, you can email them to us at policy@ewi.org.uk.

Fixed Cost Medical Reports

Following the Government’s engagement earlier this year, the cost which may be recovered to obtain medical reports in low value road traffic accident related soft tissue and whiplash injury claims is being uprated by 25.4% using the Service Producer Prices Inflation measure.

The amendments to implement the increase are reflected in the Civil Procedure (Amendment) Rules 2025 and the 179^th Practice Direction Update which come into effect on 6 April 2025.