Hidden Lawmakers: the impact of intervenors’ litigation strategies on the development of Health Care Law Event

In recent years it has become apparent that the process by which cases come to be litigated may be less haphazard than at first appears. We are seeking to instigate discussion and further investigation of the role of such ‘test' cases in developing the substance of Health Care Law.

Drawing on contributions to a two day seminar in 2011, funded by the Modern Law Review, a number of different categories of hidden lawmakers have been identified. This seminar seeks to take that work further in relation to a category of hidden lawmakers that emerged from the seminar and related discussions as requiring further study and consideration. It concerns those who intervene in matters that have come before the courts, to seek to influence the outcomes of the cases. It will bring together a group of invited participants including academics, clinical and legal practitioners, members of interest groups, and participants in influential cases to discuss and debate key aspects of the litigation process, and provide a sounding board for further exploration. The seminar will involve presentations by key participants combined with round table debates and discussions, both formal and informal, amongst the delegates.