11-month wait for civil proceedings denies justice for consumers, warns ACSO

New research has revealed persistent delays in the civil court system across England and Wales.  

The research, conducted by Express Solicitors for the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO), shows that despite slight improvements, the backlog remains alarmingly high. 

The government’s latest civil justice statistics indicate that the average time for small claims to reach trial stands at 50.6 weeks, only marginally better than the same period in 2023. Meanwhile, multi/fast track claims are taking an average of 79.3 weeks to go to trial, marking an increase of 1.2 weeks compared to last year. Although these figures show a minor improvement over previous quarters, they are still far worse than pre-pandemic levels, where the average wait times were 31.1 and 60.9 weeks, respectively. 

Inequality from region to region 

The data, analysed by Express Solicitors, highlights regional disparities in court performance. The South East remains the worst-performing area for the second year running, with claimants waiting an average of 423 days for their cases to be heard.  

The South West saw the sharpest decline, falling from fourth to eighth position, with delays worsening to 383 days from 296 days in the previous year.  

In contrast, the North East and East Midlands emerged as the best-performing regions, each with an average 296-day wait time (just shy of ten months). 

Matthew Maxwell Scott, executive director of ACSO, expressed disappointment at the findings: 

“Access to justice is still hugely delayed, therefore access to justice is still being denied,” he said, criticising the lack of attention to the civil justice system compared to criminal justice reforms. He warned that the civil court delays create a “postcode lottery” for consumers, with wait times varying drastically depending on the region. 

James Maxey, CEO of Express Solicitors, echoed these concerns, stating that while the digitalisation of the court system has led to marginal improvements, the overall delays remain unacceptable. He cited inefficiencies, such as printing and posting digital court documents, as key contributors to the backlog: 

“Claimants stuck in the UK civil justice system deserve much better,” Maxey said, calling on the new Labour government to prioritise civil justice reforms.  

Image: Canva 

Josie Miller Josie is an editor for Claims Media. She welcomes feedback, comments, and opinion at josie.miller@barkerbrooks.co.uk