Category: 3. Business

• Legislation to ensure access to funding for ordinary people in ‘David vs Goliath’ cases confirmed
• Safeguards will mean more collective action proceedings can be brought against rich and powerful opponents
• Measures will bring stability to the litigation funding sector after the PACCAR ruling

Ordinary people will have greater access to justice thanks to Government’s plans for legislation to help claimants receive the funding they need to take on powerful organisations in court.    

Since the Supreme Court ruling in PACCAR in 2023, claimants have faced uncertainty about whether they can secure funding from third parties in order to bring a civil case against a well-resourced opponent.  

Third-party litigation funding allows people to bring complex legal cases against powerful organisations when they cannot afford the costs themselves. Under these arrangements, a funder pays for the legal case in exchange for a share of any compensation won.   

The PACCAR judgment, which classed these funding arrangements as ‘Damages Based Agreements’, made it harder to access to third-party funding and has resulted in a drop in collective action lawsuits.   

Today (Wednesday 17 December), the government is confirming that it will take action to remove this barrier to justice by clarifying that Litigation Funding Agreements are not Damages Based Agreements, protecting victims and claimants.   

Minister for Courts and Legal Services, Sarah Sackman KC MP, said:   

The Supreme Court ruling has left claimants in unacceptable limbo, denying them of a clear route to justice.  

Without litigation funding, the Sub-postmasters affected by the Horizon IT scandal would never have had their day in court.  

These are David vs Goliath cases, and this Government will ensure that ordinary people have the support they need to hold rich and powerful organisations to account. Justice should be available to everyone, not just those who can afford it.   

The Supreme Court ruling has also threatened the UK’s status as global leader in dispute resolution – a cornerstone of our booming legal sector and vital to driving economic growth.   

The UK’s legal services industry is worth £42.6 billion a year to the economy, with a highly skilled workforce of 384,000.     

A new framework will ensure that agreements are fair and transparent, so that third-party litigation funding actually works for all those involved.   

These changes follow a comprehensive and wide-ranging review by the Civil Justice Council (CJC), published earlier this year. The government will continue to consider the recommendations set out in the CJC review.  

Notes to editors:   

• In the 2023 PACCAR judgment, the Supreme Court ruled that third-party litigation funding agreements are legally classed as ‘damages-based agreements.’  
• This decision means funding agreements are only valid if they meet strict rules and are banned in certain group claims.  
• The Government will introduce legislation to address this when parliamentary time allows

Dewan Motors has announced a price reduction for its HONRI VE electric vehicle, making the model more accessible to buyers in Pakistan.

According to the company, customers can now save up to Rs. 600,000, with prices starting from Rs. 3,599,000. The revised pricing applies to limited stock and covers both variants of the HONRI VE.

Under the updated offer, the HONRI VE 2.0 now costs Rs. 3,599,000, down from Rs. 4,199,000, while the HONRI VE 3.0 is priced at Rs. 4,399,000, reduced from Rs. 4,999,000.

Dewan Motors said the electric vehicle comes with an eight-year battery warranty or 120,000 kilometers, a three-year vehicle warranty or 100,000 kilometers, and full 3S support, including sales, service, and spare parts.

The company said the price cut aims to encourage wider adoption of electric vehicles by reducing upfront costs and offering long-term ownership assurance. Interested customers can contact regional sales managers or the company’s head office for further details.

The Chairman of the Pakistan Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (PVARA), Bilal Bin Saqib, visited the State Bank of Pakistan in Karachi and met with the Governor, Jameel Ahmad, to align on Pakistan’s evolving cryptocurrency regulatory framework and the critical role of inter-institutional coordination in its implementation.

Senior members of the State Bank of Pakistan team were also present during the meeting.

The discussion focused on the regulatory architecture for virtual assets, with particular attention to critical issues such as capital outflows, foreign exchange considerations, and financial stability. The role of banks in establishing formal, transparent on-ramp and off-ramp mechanisms was discussed, alongside measures to gradually curb unregulated peer-to-peer activity through supervised channels.

The meeting also included an exchange on Central Bank Digital Currency initiatives. Both sides emphasized that effective crypto regulation in Pakistan requires close and continuous coordination between PVARA and the State Bank of Pakistan.

Speaking on the engagement, Chairman PVARA Bilal Bin Saqib said:

Pakistan already has a large and active digital asset market. Our responsibility is to bring this activity into a supervised, FATF aligned framework that protects consumers and safeguards financial stability. This cannot be achieved in isolation. Close coordination with the State Bank is essential to ensure that innovation progresses alongside monetary and financial integrity.

Pakistan is ranked third globally on the crypto adoption index, with an estimated 30 to 40 million users and annual digital asset activity valued in the hundreds of billions of dollars. PVARA’s mandate is to ensure that this substantial existing market is brought into a regulated, transparent, and internationally aligned framework that safeguards consumers, strengthens financial integrity, and supports sustainable growth.

In approximately four months since its first Board meeting at the end of August, PVARA has moved decisively from policy formulation to implementation. As part of its phased and risk-based regulatory approach, the Authority has issued No Objection Certificates to leading global virtual asset platforms, including Binance and HTX.

These NOCs provide a controlled entry into Pakistan’s regulatory perimeter and do not constitute full operating licenses.

Progression toward full licensing remains ongoing and is subject to comprehensive compliance, governance, and systems readiness requirements, reflecting the Authority’s commitment to timely yet prudent regulation.

The meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment between PVARA and the State Bank of Pakistan to build a secure, credible, and future-ready digital asset ecosystem that supports economic growth, attracts responsible investment, and strengthens Pakistan’s standing in the global digital economy.

News release from Vestas Asia Pacific
Seoul, 19 December 2025
 

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Mail: lclef@vestas.com
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