Welcome to the Alabama Civil Justice Reform Committee
The Alabama Civil Justice Reform Committee was organized in 1985 to respond to the growing number of lawsuits in Alabama and the outrageous awards being levied against the business and industry sector. ACJRC is composed of organizations representing various business and industry related associations, agricultural groups, medical interests, major corporations, as well as small businesses.
The membership of ACJRC was successful in working to get a strong tort reform pack- age through the Alabama Legislature in 1987. That tort reform package was hailed throughout the nation, as one of the best reform measures ever written. With the passage of these bills, the business community assumed they had accomplished tort reform. The trial lawyers then focused their resources on electing liberal appellate judges who ultimately struck down the entire reform package.
In 1994, ACJRC members responded to this challenge by refocusing our efforts and since then we have led Alabama’s business, agriculture, manufacturing and small business communities in a grassroots effort to elect reasonable, fair-minded judges. As a result, Alabama now has balanced appellate courts with reputations of fairness for all. Our challenge now is to maintain this balance and keep Alabama court’s out of the national headlines, thus contributing to further economic development.
In 1999, ACJRC led the business community in a successful effort to pass meaningful tort reform measures. That package made major improvements; imposing limitations on punitive damages awards, reforming our venue statute and curbing class action filings in Alabama. Click here for a brief summary of each of the bills which are now law.
