Justice Committee to examine County Court delays amid capacity and resource concerns
The Justice Committee will examine County Court delays amid long-standing concerns over court capacity and resources during the first evidence session of its inquiry into the subject.
Data on the work of the County Court shows the time taken from claim to hearing continues to rise. MPs on the cross-party committee will hear from lawyers and academics on the current level of delays in the County Court in England and Wales and discuss the factors contributing to the increase.
Meeting details
Committee members will take evidence on the effect of the modernisation programme and discuss potential reforms that could improve the effectiveness of the County Court.
In its 2022 report, the Committee called on the Government to provide the “resources to ensure that the County Court has the capacity to deal with cases in a timely fashion”.
The report also urged the Government to set out what steps it is taking to reduce delays in the County Court and to improve the judicial, physical, digital and staff capacity of the County Court.
During the inquiry, the Committee is taking evidence from both claimant and defendant firms, a range of representative bodies and NGOs, plus the Civil Justice minister Lord Bellamy KC.