Class actions: The flood that never came

After 25 years of class actions in Australia, it is worth reviewing whether the predictions made – that part IVA of the Federal Court of Australia Act 1976 would result in an Americanised litigious culture and a flood of spurious claims – came to pass. This article argues that the flood was more of a trickle and that Australia's unique combination of cost shifting rules, contingency fees and judicial supervision have mitigated against the deluge. It takes the position that Australia has struck the right balance between access to justice and protection against vexatious or unmeritorious claims