Commenting on the latest Civil Justice Statistics, which measure the time taken for civil cases to reach the courts, Matthew Maxwell Scott, executive director of the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO), whose members represent consumers in the civil justice system, welcomed two successive quarters of improvement and suggested that “at last the tide seems to be turning for court delays."
He noted the changes on the last quarter are 39 weeks for small claims versus 40.6 weeks for March-June and 60 weeks for multi/fast track versus 62 weeks.
Mr Maxwell Scott said: “We’re not yet back to pre-pandemic levels (July to Sept 2019 figures were 38.1 and 59.4 weeks respectively) but this represents good progress nonetheless from the record highs of recent years. While 39 weeks and 60 weeks is still far too long a wait for justice, they are heading in the right direction.
"The Ministry of Justice needs to continue meeting the pledges it made in its response to the Justice Select Committee report on the county courts, not least in working with HMCTS to address the shortcomings in the ongoing digitisation programme, where problems with the Damages Claims Portal in particular are adding time, cost and inconvenience for everyone in the civil system. Our members remain keen to work alongside the MoJ and other stakeholders to ensure this improving trend continues into 2026 and beyond."
The date for June to September 2025 can be found here.