Sunday, February 20, 2005
US Congress passes anti-lawsuit legislation
Landmark legislation long sought by business to curb class-action lawsuits was approved by the US Congress on Thursday and now goes to US President George W Bush, who is expected to swiftly sign it into law.
The measure, which passed the US House of Representatives in a 279-149 vote, would shift most class-action lawsuits from state to federal courts which historically have been less friendly to such cases.
Class-action cases allow plaintiffs to combine claims into one suit against a common defendant. Bush has sought to restrain class-action suits as part of his drive to overhaul the civil justice system.
Backers say the changes are needed to stop aggressive trial lawyers from seeking out friendly state courts willing to approve large settlements against out-of-state businesses.
Similar legislation passed the House several times in recent years but until last week, the Senate always blocked it. This time the bill's path was cleared by a larger Republican majority in the Senate and a pledge by House Republicans to accept the bipartisan Senate version.
Read More...
Landmark legislation long sought by business to curb class-action lawsuits was approved by the US Congress on Thursday and now goes to US President George W Bush, who is expected to swiftly sign it into law.
The measure, which passed the US House of Representatives in a 279-149 vote, would shift most class-action lawsuits from state to federal courts which historically have been less friendly to such cases.
Class-action cases allow plaintiffs to combine claims into one suit against a common defendant. Bush has sought to restrain class-action suits as part of his drive to overhaul the civil justice system.
Backers say the changes are needed to stop aggressive trial lawyers from seeking out friendly state courts willing to approve large settlements against out-of-state businesses.
Similar legislation passed the House several times in recent years but until last week, the Senate always blocked it. This time the bill's path was cleared by a larger Republican majority in the Senate and a pledge by House Republicans to accept the bipartisan Senate version.
Read More...
