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The Illinois Civil Justice League is a coalition of Illinois
citizens, small and large businesses, associations, professional
societies, not-for-profit organizations and local governments
that have joined together to work for fairness in the Illinois
civil justice system.
The League's agenda is limited to working for, and preservation
of, a civil justice system that is fair to all Illinois citizens
and interests.
The League, with its members, was the principal author and
proponent of major tort liability reform in the Illinois General
Assembly in 1995. One of the immediate impacts of the new law
was a sharp reduction in the number of civil lawsuits in
Illinois following enactment of the law by Governor Jim Edgar, a
reduction that saved Illinois taxpayers and consumers millions
of dollars.
Yet in a controversial and highly questionable ruling, the
Illinois Supreme Court overturned that law in 1997.
The conditions that necessitated sweeping tort reform
legislation in 1995 have not disappeared; in fact, they have
worsened since the Supreme Court's ruling and thus the agenda
and objectives of the Illinois Civil Justice League continue,
with a concentration in specific areas:
The League believes a fair and impartial judiciary is essential
to a fair civil justice system. Thus the ICJL and its members
will closely monitor the performance of judges and will evaluate
the qualifications and experience of candidates for the
judiciary.
The League believes the three branches of Illinois government,
Executive, Legislative and Judiciary, are separate, with clearly
defined responsibilities. One of the responsibilities of the
Legislative branch is the establishment of public policy,
including laws dealing with tort liability and other aspects of
the Code of Civil Procedure. It is not the function of the
Judiciary to establish public policy.
The League believes the reforms enacted in the Civil Justice
Reform Amendments of 1995 were necessary and constitutional, and
thus the League will support and lead future efforts to enact
similar legislation.
The League will work with its members and the public to ensure
that the benefits of civil justice reform are realized and
understood. These benefits may include a reduction in the amount
of litigation, reduced liability costs, more favorable economic
conditions and a more favorable business climate.
Widespread public support for civil justice reform was one of
the principle reasons for the League's success in 1995. It is
important to maintain public awareness of the problems of
lawsuit abuse and thus the League will continue to serve as a
champion for a fair civil justice system in the news media,
through public speeches, and in the halls of government as
necessary.
Recognizing that many League members and other Illinois concerns
conduct business in other states, the League will work with
other state and national tort reform organizations to help their
efforts by sharing information concerning Illinois activities
and our successes.
The League understands that a favorable political environment is
crucial to maintaining a fair civil justice system and thus the
League will work through JUSTPAC, its Political Action
Committee, to maintain a favorable environment in the Illinois
General Assembly and other appropriate offices. The League will
support candidates who are committed to League objectives and
the League will assist and encourage candidates to become
knowledgeable and articulate on civil justice issues.
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