The UK government is proposing to change the system so that lawyers’ success fees and the insurance premiums would be paid out of the damages awarded to the victim instead of being paid by the losing company. In practice this would make bringing a court case financially impossible for many victims from developing countries…tragically, the Lords have just rejected amendments (see Division 6) to protect rights of overseas victims of right abuses.
See http://www.bristol247.com/2012/03/28/roger-james-global-justice-under-threat-from-legal-aid-plans-76114/.
See also briefing at http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/16447.