US Bill to stop lawsuits passed in House
Publish date: 21 September 2004
Issue Number: 1179
Diary: Legalbrief Today
Category: Labour
Republicans pushed through a Bill aimed at curbing frivolous lawsuits, despite opposition from Democrats who said the Bill would adversely impact on the ability of civil rights plaintiffs to seek recourse in the courts.
The Washington Times reports the Lawsuit Abuse Reduction Act, which passed the House 229-174, aims to curb frivolous lawsuits in a variety of ways, including punishing lawyers who bring three or more such lawsuits to court. It also bans jury shopping, in which attorneys shop their cases around to find the most favourable juries or judges. The legislation, however, faces an uncertain future in the Senate, which has stalled on several tort reform issues. A Bill using similar tactics to curb class-action lawsuits was blocked last year and earlier this year when Republicans fell one vote shy of the 60 needed to override a Democratic filibuster. Full report in The Washington Times
