Class or collective actions have not been a prevalent feature of the English legal system and the viability of such actions before the English and Welsh courts has been limited, at least historically. The concept of large group actions conjures up thoughts of Hollywood courtroom dramas or bumper cash payouts following high-profile corporate scandals, which climaxed with the record-breaking package in 2008 of USD 7.2 billion payable to the eligible shareholders of the collapsed energy giant, Enron. However, if recent high-profile cases are anything to go by, then group actions are shaping up to become a more regular tool deployed in legal proceedings in England and Wales.
