Ken Clarke wants law insurers

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke wants more legal disputes settled using private legal insurance outside the civil justice system, the Times reports.

The Ministry of Justice faces cuts of at least 25% from its £9.6bn budget, but that could be as much as 34%.

It plans to close 157 courts – 40% of magistrates’ courts and nearly 25% of county courts. Clarke wants more “cyber-justice”, with greater use of “virtual trials” in both civil and criminal courts. New technology could also avoid people spending a day in court, he says.