Justice minister Jonathan Djanogly has told insurers he expects them to ‘vigorously defend’ cases after civil litigation reforms are enacted.

Djanogly told an insurance industry conference last week that civil justice reforms will provide a more level playing field between claimants and defendants.

In return, Djanogly said the government would expect insurers to keep to their promises that premiums will fall as a result.

‘We hope and expect our efforts to be rewarded with cheaper insurance costs and I welcome the industry’s commitment to that,’ he told the Economist Insurance Summit conference. ‘You should vigorously defend claims seen as invalid - too many people see low-value claims as an easy way to make money in the knowledge that they’re unlikely to be contested.’

Djanogly said the government would promote before-the-event insurance as a way of funding legal expenses and predicted the cost of such cover would come down. Under the government’s proposals, currently before the House of Lords, after-the-event insurance will no longer be recoverable from the losing defendant.

Djanogly said he expected the reforms to become law within weeks.

The minister sought to reassure claimant solicitors fearing a loss of income. ‘There is no reason why lawyers should not compete for business on the basis that claimants will keep their damages after the case,’ Djanogly said.

‘Rather than advertising for business on the basis that claimants keep all their damages, they can advertise on the basis they keep damages on a proportionate costs system.’

Djanogly’s speech came as the leading 10 ATE insurers revealed they had not been consulted or approached by the government to discuss civil litigation reforms.