ECHR ruling: no more large 'success fees'

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that law firms cannot charge large success fees as part of Conditional Fee Agreements. The proceeding began ten years ago when Naomi Campbell claimed that the Daily Mirror had breached her privacy by taking and publishing a photograph of her leaving a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. Campbell’s claim was successful, and Mirror Group Newspapers was ordered to pay damages of £3,500, in addition to Campbell's legal fees of £1,100,000. The legal fees were calculated to include a £280,000 "success fee" agreed between Campbell and her lawyer. The ECHR has now ruled that the success fee violated the right to freedom of expression and was in breach of European rules on human rights. John Kampfner, Chief Executive of Index on Censorship, said that the finding "removes one of the greatest barriers to free speech in the UK".

ECHR ruling: no more large 'success fees' rollonfriday.com Sat, Jan 22, 2011