Lords defeat for Compensation Bill

The compensation Bill was defeated at the report stage in the House of Lords yesterday with peers expressing concerns about its failure to provide for defendants to apologise without admitting liability.

Conservative spokesman Lord Hunt of Wirral, said that allowing apologies to be made could help cool the atmosphere in compensation cases.
It did not necessarily mean there was an admission of negligence or breach of statutory duty.

He told peers: "I don't want the courts to be involved. I know the courts can easily differentiate between an apology and what is an admission of liability.

"We want there to be a change of attitude, I certainly don't want to change the law but I certainly want to change the perception that you can't say sorry.

"I would like people to say sorry... I hope what I am doing here is simplifying the situation, so it doesn't have to go to court, so on insurance advice it will no longer say you can't say sorry.

"It will actually explain that you can say sorry, but don't admit liability."

Lady Ashton, for the govenment, said parliamentary draftsmen said the measure would damage the law even though she accepted the principle.
She proposed holding talks with Lord Hunt and other peers before the next stage of debates on the bill.

The measue was defeated by 157 to 144.

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