Commenting on the judgment handed down today (17 March 2026) by Senior Costs Judge Rowley on JXX v Archibald, Matthew Maxwell-Scott, Executive Director of the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO), said:
"It's welcome that the important role MROs play in helping consumers get the evidence they need to build a case has been recognised. However, the judgment threatens to subject claimants to yet another unreasonable squeeze in favour of compensators. If an injured person cannot recover the cost of reasonably incurred disbursements, then they or their representatives will have to make up the difference and this doesn't seem right.
"Given that finding available medical expertise is already very challenging in some areas, applying this judgment more widely risks erecting further barriers to access to justice."