Still a Postcode Lottery on Small/PI Claims, Says ACSO

The latest research from ACSO on case hearing wait times;

Despite official data revealing an apparent easing in the long delays at county courts, new research from Express Solicitors and the Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO) shows that the ‘postcode lottery’ remains a significant problem, with the time taken to get justice depending greatly on where you live.

The Civil Justice Statistics Quarterly released today (Thursday 4 September) shows an average time of 40.6 weeks for a small claim to go to trial and 62 weeks for a multi/fast track claim, both down on the previous quarter and the same period last year.

However, the delays remain longer than in the last equivalent period before the pandemic, March to June 2019, when the delays were 36.6 weeks and 59.1 weeks respectively. In the same period in 2015, they were 32.3 and 54.2 weeks respectively.

A separate regional breakdown of court delays, sourced by Express Solicitors, shows only London improving compared to last year, with delays in the capital falling from an average 411 days in 2023-24 compared to 341 days in 2024-25. In every other region, they found delays increased.

ACSO has been campaigning to raise the issues of court delays, resulting in a recent highly critical Justice Select Committee report, the government response to which is due later this month.

The trade body’s executive director, Matthew Maxwell-Scott, said: “While some progress appears to be being made, the numbers are still far worse than before the pandemic, let alone a decade ago. The rot really set in all the way back in 2008, and so it’s vital that ministers respond positively to the recent Commons Justice Select Committee report. New measures must be brought in to put civil justice properly on the road to recovery after years of neglect.

“We have heard civil court users and other stakeholders tell MPs about delays, low staff morale, bodged IT projects, crumbling buildings and bewildered litigants in person. This helped the Justice Committee be crystal clear in identifying the causes of the problems in our civil courts. Ministers must now commit to improving things dramatically by the end of this Parliament.”

Turning to the data, Damian Bradley, partner at Express Solicitors, confirmed the mixed picture across the country.

“A postcode lottery still applies to our civil courts, with the data showing a wide variance in delays from 1004 days in Hastings, Kent, to 82 days in St. Helens. If a Claimant’s case is transferred to Hastings, they may have to wait almost three years for their case to be heard by a judge, which is simply untenable.

“Overall, and once again, the worst performing courts are those in the Southeast. Alongside the appalling picture in Hastings, Canterbury and Medway Court saw delays of more than 800 days each.”