County Courts: Standards
(asked on 21st September 2022) - View Source
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of backlogs at County Courts; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce delays in hearing cases.
The civil courts play a crucial role in ensuring citizens have access to justice and in supporting the economy and growth. The Government is committed to resolving cases quickly and improving timeliness in our courts, ensuring that claims are dealt with appropriately and proportionately according to their complexity and value.
£1.3 billion has been invested to transform the justice system; introducing 21st Century technology and online services to increase access to justice and improve efficiency. We will spend a further £324 million over the next three years to improve timeliness in civil and family courts and tribunals. We are maximising the number of sitting days utilised across the civil jurisdiction and that appropriate administrative, and staffing is in place.
The Ministry of Justice is also taking forward proposals to ensure the early and consensual resolution of disputes where appropriate, ensuring that court resources are focused on cases that require a judgment.
Since May 2021, for example, over 300,000 claims for low-value road traffic accident personal injury claims have been made on the online Official Injury Claim service run by the Motor Insurance Bureau for the Ministry of Justice. We are also currently consulting on Increasing the use of mediation in the civil justice system, including proposing the introduction of compulsory mediation for all defended small claims.
These reforms mean a large number of cases will potentially be resolved outside the formal court process reducing both throughput and backlogs in our courts.