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MPs are to look at the capacity and resources of the county court amid ever-increasing delays in the how long cases are taking.
Experts have long warned that widespread and serious delays in the courts which landlords face when seeking to regain possession of their properties is creating a major crisis in the industry, and deterring more people from investing in the PRS.
Several factors have contributed to the backlog of cases, including delays caused by the pandemic and funding cuts.
The inquiry by the House of Commons’ justice select committee follows its report in April 2022 calling on the government to provide the “resources to ensure that the county court has the capacity to deal with cases in a timely fashion”.
Official figures show that the average time taken for small claims and multi/fast track claims to go to trial is currently 52.3 weeks and 78.2 weeks respectively – one week longer and 2.8 weeks longer than the same period last year.
Compared to 2019, these measures are 15.7 weeks longer for small claims and 19.1 weeks longer for multi/fast-track claims.
The committee said it would take evidence from both claimant and defendant law firms, a range of representative bodies and other organisations, plus the civil justice minister Lord Bellamy KC.
Committee chair Sir Bob Neill said MPs held “long-standing concerns over the resourcing and capacity of the county court”.
“The work of the county court shouldn’t be the Cinderella of the justice system,” he added. “It affects a significant proportion of the public, who rely on it to deliver justice. If it doesn’t have the resources it needs to function effectively then it will have a real impact on people’s lives, as well as on the economy.”
Interested parties have until 14 December to make a submission to the committee.
Landlords ‘are at the end of their tether’ as court backlogs continue to spiral
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