The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) has launched a campaign aimed at addressing the long-standing issue of delays within the UK’s civil justice system.
ACSO’s new campaign seeks to bring attention to critical concerns about access to justice and the overall inefficiency of the system.
The challenge of delay
Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, small claims took an average of 38.1 weeks to reach trial, while multi/fast track claims clocked in at 59.4 weeks. The most recent data reflects a disconcerting reality, with small claims now averaging 51.9 weeks and multi/fast track claims an astonishing 79.9 weeks. Even tribunals have not escaped this crisis, with average wait times escalating from 30 weeks in 2019 to 45 weeks in 2021.
ACSO, in collaboration with Express Solicitors, conducted a comprehensive study which revealed an average waiting period of 353 days for a case to be heard in court. Certain courts experienced worse delays: Dartford is running at 829 days. The best performer, with delays of 79 days, is Blackpool.
The South East is the worst performing region with an average wait of 462 days, while the North East is the best with an average wait of 251 days.
Root causes under the spotlight
ASCO has outlined numerous problems including budgetary constraints; challenges in modernisation; lack of focus on civil justice; infrastructure concerns like deteriorating buildings; legal aid cuts; and administrative hurdles as causes for delays.
Matthew Maxwell Scott, ACSO’s executive director, said, “There is a long history of reduced budgets and a misunderstanding of the sector, and the consequences of reforms imposed