A new consultation has been launched to find out how the law could be updated to make it easier for organisations to apologise more when they make mistakes.

Many organisations are reluctant to apologise because they are concerned that it will be interpreted as an admission of fault.

However, an apology is often needed by a victim so that they can get a sense of closure and feel they can move on with their lives. This is a case of legal concerns preventing what all parties would like to happen for the victim to feel better.

The Compensation Act already makes it easier for apologies to be made without admitting liability in civil proceedings. This became law in 2006, but evidence suggests that this provision has not given businesses the confidence to be able to apologise when needed.

Therefore, the government consultation will look at whether clarifying or amending the law would be useful.

The consultation will close on 3 June 2024.

The consultation with details on how to respond can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/reforming-the-law-of-apologies-in-civil-proceedings