Uploaded December 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
BOOK REVIEW
CLASS ACTIONS IN ENGLAND AND WALES
2nd edition
General Editors: Damian Grave, Maura McIntosh, and
Gregg Rowan
ISBN 978 0 41410 255 2
Sweet & Maxwell/Thomson Reuters
sweetandmaxwell.co.uk
THE DEFINITIVE WORK ON CLASS ACTIONS --
NOW IN A COMPLETELY UPDATED SECOND EDITION WITH A FOREWORD BY SIR GEOFFREY VOS, MASTER OF THE ROLLS
An appreciation by Elizabeth Robson Taylor MA of Richmond Green Chambers and Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers, Reviews Editor, “The Barrister”, and Mediator
Is there any precise definition of the term “class action” in English law? No, apparently there isn’t. The erudite editors and contributing authors of this well-established text make this point clear from the outset. This is not to deny, however, that large numbers of claimants and (more rarely) defendants can and do launch such claims within a variety of circumstances.
While such terms as “group litigation and “multi-party actions” have become increasingly commonplace, so too have various cases referred to as “class actions” particularly in the past four years -- and it has now been four years since the publication of the first edition of this distinguished law text, in which the term “class actions” shines forth in the title.
Fortunately -- and much to the advantage of the busy practitioner in this area of law, this well-nigh indispensable work of reference has recently emerged in a new second edition from Sweet & Maxwell, as class action cases become increasingly -- and relentlessly -- common. To offer only one example, the case of Lloyds/HBOS litigation is cited by the book’s general editors as the first judgment in a shareholder class action in England & Wales, predictably paving the way for more such class actions in the not-too-distant future.
Practitioners in this relatively new and fast-developing area of law will without a doubt, welcome the assistance offered in this new edition, which has been fully updated to reflect recent key developments. Four new chapters on class action litigation, for example, have been added to the expanded text which includes such issues as data protection claims, product liability, insurance, and employment.
As noted in the Foreword by Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, this text is ‘a detailed and practical guide to the conduct of class actions’ which, he adds, ‘have become ‘a firmly entrenched and increasingly important part of the legal scene in England & Wales.’ They are being brought, he says, ‘in almost every
conceivable area, from international pollution, motor car manufacturing and pharmaceutical claims... to financial services, shareholders’, and competition proceedings.’
Bearing in mind the complexity, the breadth, and the depth of this subject, it is reassuring to note that this book contains a mine of useful resources including, as you would expect, tables of cases, statutes and statutory instruments, as well as a table of EU and international legislation and a reassuringly extensive table of abbreviations. Copiously footnoted and featuring numbered paragraphs throughout, the book features a detailed table of contents and an eleven-page index to aid navigation.
As the designation of ‘class action’ can conceivably become relevant in every aspect of law as time progresses, this definitive and eminently readable text should be considered an indispensable purchase for every law library and every practitioner.
The date of publication of this hardback second edition from Sweet and Maxwell is cited as at 19 August 2022.
BOOK REVIEW
CLASS ACTIONS IN ENGLAND AND WALES
2nd edition
General Editors: Damian Grave, Maura McIntosh, and
Gregg Rowan
ISBN 978 0 41410 255 2
Sweet & Maxwell/Thomson Reuters
sweetandmaxwell.co.uk
THE DEFINITIVE WORK ON CLASS ACTIONS --
NOW IN A COMPLETELY UPDATED SECOND EDITION WITH A FOREWORD BY SIR GEOFFREY VOS, MASTER OF THE ROLLS
An appreciation by Elizabeth Robson Taylor MA of Richmond Green Chambers and Phillip Taylor MBE, Head of Chambers, Reviews Editor, “The Barrister”, and Mediator
Is there any precise definition of the term “class action” in English law? No, apparently there isn’t. The erudite editors and contributing authors of this well-established text make this point clear from the outset. This is not to deny, however, that large numbers of claimants and (more rarely) defendants can and do launch such claims within a variety of circumstances.
While such terms as “group litigation and “multi-party actions” have become increasingly commonplace, so too have various cases referred to as “class actions” particularly in the past four years -- and it has now been four years since the publication of the first edition of this distinguished law text, in which the term “class actions” shines forth in the title.
Fortunately -- and much to the advantage of the busy practitioner in this area of law, this well-nigh indispensable work of reference has recently emerged in a new second edition from Sweet & Maxwell, as class action cases become increasingly -- and relentlessly -- common. To offer only one example, the case of Lloyds/HBOS litigation is cited by the book’s general editors as the first judgment in a shareholder class action in England & Wales, predictably paving the way for more such class actions in the not-too-distant future.
Practitioners in this relatively new and fast-developing area of law will without a doubt, welcome the assistance offered in this new edition, which has been fully updated to reflect recent key developments. Four new chapters on class action litigation, for example, have been added to the expanded text which includes such issues as data protection claims, product liability, insurance, and employment.
As noted in the Foreword by Sir Geoffrey Vos, Master of the Rolls, this text is ‘a detailed and practical guide to the conduct of class actions’ which, he adds, ‘have become ‘a firmly entrenched and increasingly important part of the legal scene in England & Wales.’ They are being brought, he says, ‘in almost every
conceivable area, from international pollution, motor car manufacturing and pharmaceutical claims... to financial services, shareholders’, and competition proceedings.’
Bearing in mind the complexity, the breadth, and the depth of this subject, it is reassuring to note that this book contains a mine of useful resources including, as you would expect, tables of cases, statutes and statutory instruments, as well as a table of EU and international legislation and a reassuringly extensive table of abbreviations. Copiously footnoted and featuring numbered paragraphs throughout, the book features a detailed table of contents and an eleven-page index to aid navigation.
As the designation of ‘class action’ can conceivably become relevant in every aspect of law as time progresses, this definitive and eminently readable text should be considered an indispensable purchase for every law library and every practitioner.
The date of publication of this hardback second edition from Sweet and Maxwell is cited as at 19 August 2022.
