Time from issue to trial in county court hits record high of 80 weeks

Published 16 June 2023 | Last Updated 28 October 2024

ACSO and Express Solicitors have garnered attention due to three major stories, which have sparked significant concern within the UK’s civil justice system. The latest quarterly civil justice statistics have highlighted the escalating delays, attracting widespread coverage in esteemed publications such as the Law Society Gazette, Insurance Edge, Legal Futures, Lexis Nexis, the Dispatchist, the Local Government Lawyer, and the New Law Journal.

We have expressed deep apprehension regarding the decline in the civil justice system, attributing it to government budget cuts and neglect. Through our collaborative efforts with ACSO, we have conducted extensive research, shedding light on significant delays in small claims and multi/fast track claims. On average, it now takes nearly a year (353 days) for a case to progress to court, causing significant distress. Our research further revealed alarming instances of extended delays, with certain courts, like the one in Dartford, experiencing wait times of up to 829 days, while Blackpool demonstrated relatively better performance with delays of only 79 days. Notably, the South East region exhibited the longest average wait time of 462 days, in contrast to the North East, which boasted the shortest average wait time of 251 days.

In light of these findings, we have passionately emphasised the urgent need for the government to allocate additional resources to effectively address the mounting backlog. Moreover, we are calling for the establishment of clear targets that promotes accountability and transparency within the civil justice system.