Justice committee to probe the work of the county court amidst growing delays

The work of the county court is to be scrutinised by MPs as delays mount in the civil justice system. The cross-party justice committee, chaired by Labour MP Andy Slaughter, said today it will revive the previous committee’s inquiry, which was halted by the general election.

Members visited central London county court recently to see the issues the jurisdiction faces. Recent data, from April to June 2024, shows the average time for small claims and multi/fast track claims to go to trial was 50.6 weeks and 79.3 weeks. This is 14 weeks longer than in 2019 for small claims and 20.2 weeks longer for multi/fast track claims.

The committee has also announced a call for written evidence on the work of the county court, including on how it engages with litigants in person, the condition of the court estate as well as the use of technology, current fee levels of fees, the effect of the court reform programme and whether there is sufficient judicial capacity.

Slaughter said the committee’s inquiry would examine where further reforms may be needed ’across this important sphere of justice’.

He added: ‘Recurrent concerns around delays, resourcing and capacity have persisted for years, affecting the lives of all those who rely on a functioning county court to deliver timely justice. It’s right that the justice committee early in this parliament examines in detail why these issues remain unresolved and takes evidence from those impacted. As the latest claims data shows, the time taken from claim to hearing for multi/fast track claims is still much longer than the pre-covid baseline.

‘Improving the effectiveness of the county court could help with the government’s mission to strengthen economic growth, as we know that small businesses rely on the county court to resolve disputes.’

Matthew Maxwell Scott, executive director of the association of consumer support organisations (ACSO), said: ‘It’s hugely welcome that the new justice committee has seen the importance of picking up this baton from its predecessor. Court wait times remain stubbornly high, having been on an upward trajectory even before covid. Civil justice continues to be delayed and therefore denied for thousands, but with a new government there is an opportunity to turn things around.

‘Although criminal justice receives all the attention from the media and politicians, it is the civil courts where the vast majority of citizens interact with the law. We need fresh impetus from the latest civil justice minister, clear targets and expertise brought in from across the sector to work out how to get the delays down and confidence in the system back up.’