Two UK judges have expressed their dismay over a matter that went to court for three plaintiffs with modest claims in the lower hundreds of pounds where the parties ended up spending GBP2 million on costs. The claim was against an airline for air tickets for cancelled flights. The court observed that from an early stage the main driver in the proceedings was clearly not the substantive amounts claimed but the costs. Another judge called it a “melancholy tale”. The plaintiffs had pursued a claim for small amounts despite modest means. The defendant airline did not try to settle the matter on a pragmatic and cost-effective basis early on. The court said that “neither side comes out of this with much credit”. No order was made as to costs.
[[2018] EWC Civ 1264]