Ofcom spent £10m in past 2 years desperately lobbing away sueballs Communications regulator Ofcom spent nearly £10m over the last two years fighting off legal threats by providers, according to a Freedom of Information response. During that time the regulator splashed the cash instructing lawyers to fight off legal challenges against its decisions, as well as salaries for in-house legal bods …
Haven't you heard?
“Ofcom’s lawyers work with colleagues to help us take decisions on how best to protect consumers and promote competition in the sectors we regulate. Our legal team also helps to defend our decisions if they are challenged in court.”
They're like the consumers' personal lawyers!!!
This is about rich companies being able to de-rail or at least delay ANY policy made by democratic process.
Many of the challenges are due to loss of sovereignty to Europe. I.e. our elected law maker can be over-riled by unelected European institutions.
As a UK business owner frequently "run-over" as a result of big corp successfully lobbying Euro institutions the sooner we get out the better
"This is about rich companies being able to de-rail or at least delay ANY policy made by democratic process."
The fact that they're suing is an indication that Ofcom might be doing some things right.
Of course, it also means Ofcom shies off the hard decisions. It would be nice if the telcos were forced to pay all legal costs (not just court ones(*)) when they lose (as they usually do).
(*) "Costs" is tightly defined in legal parlance. Most legal consultation costs are not covered. This makes courts very much a case of "the battle of the deepest pockets"
The scandal with the whole self serving legal system is not that lawyers exist, or that government or private organisations can be challenged legally, all this is necessary, and maybe even right and proper.
The scandal is that the whole legal system has bloated and bloated, so that the actual expense of using lawyers has increased and increased. Trials that once took three days now take three weeks, three weeks three months, and is doubtful the accuracy of verdicts has greatly increased. Somethhing needs to happen so that the more excessive the expenses the less profitable the affair is for the lawyers, but I'm not clever enough to think how it could be managed.
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