Bruton bidding to win support for new Book of Quantum

Jobs Minister Richard Bruton has met with key members of the judiciary in a bid to tackle “inflated” personal injury compensation awards, the Irish Independent reports.

Mr Bruton met with the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, in January in order to win judicial support for a new Book of Quantum to be published by the Summer.

It is expected to recommend smaller compensation awards, though the guidelines are not binding on judges.

The newspaper also reports that Mr Bruton was lobbied on the issue last October by Axa Insurance, who complained about the unexpectedly great size of damages in a number of High Court cases.

A government official told the Irish Independent: “The objective is to get the new book of quantum signed up to by all the stakeholders so that when it gets published everybody knows this is the rulebook and the guidelines to work off.

“If everyone can keep in line, then we can keep as many cases out of the courts as possible.”