Dramatic fall in successful high court challenges to government policy

Exclusive: Drop prompts warnings ministers' attacks on lawyers could be having chilling effect on judges

Successful high court challenges to government policy and decisions by public bodies have fallen dramatically, prompting warnings that ministers' attacks on lawyers could be having a chilling effect on judges.

The proportion of civil judicial reviews, excluding immigration cases, which claimants won out of total claims lodged fell by 50% on 2020, according to analysis seen by the Guardian. The figure is 26% if the success rate is measured out of cases that went to a final hearing.