John Mullin, Managing Director of Cardiff-based Composite Legal Expenses, addressed senior
representatives from industry, the legal and insurance sectors at a major UK conference held
in April in London. The conference (organised by leading insurance publication Post Magazine)
was part of a major initiative to examine the growing issue of the compensation culture and
where it is taking our society.

Part of John's address related to the need for ‘Joe Public' as a genuine and realistic claimant to
have sensible access to justice following the effective demise of the Legal Aid system.
However, the rising number of unrealistic actions – the culture of ‘who can I sue?' – was
creating extraordinary expense within the insurance industry which inevitably reflects in
Employers' and Public Liability premium increases, forcing some companies out of business
(something covered extensively by the press over the last couple of years). However, he
stressed that all businesses had duty of care to their employees and the public

He continued:

“Perhaps we all - businesses and individuals - have to recognise that the very action of existing
incurs a latent risk.

I'm sure none of us wishes to live in a society where we and our children cannot enjoy quality
of life and have our freedoms restricted and enjoyment curtailed because the custodians of
our safety cannot take reasonable risks. If every pavement in every town in the UK had to be
perfect, would we, as the public, be willing to pay three or four times more council tax?”

John called for united action by all sectors involved to establish protocols to ensure
reasonableness by all parties.

Note to editors:

Composite Legal Expenses is a patron member of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce.
Established in 1996, Composite is one of Wales's fastest-growing companies (recognised at
the end of 2003 with fourth placing in the Fast Growth 50 Initiative) and is a leading UK
provider of Legal Expenses insurance and Event Litigation Funding.

The company is a recognised market expert within the UK insurance industry and is regularly
called upon to comment on market issues and write articles for the insurance media.

Composite won Best Sales Initiative in the 2003 Welsh Contact Centre Awards in addition to
the E-business Award in the 2002 Western Mail Business Awards. In 2003 Composite were
awarded the E-business Award in the UK insurance industry's most prestigious awards – the
British Insurance Awards.

please contact:
John Mullin, Managing Director
Tel: 0871 423 5240 Fax: 02920 222044
Email: john@composite-legal.com or

Nigel Dyer or Judy Kellie
Intelligent Marketing Partnership
Tel: 01798 81 5687 Fax: 01798 81 5931
Email: intelligentmktg@aol.com