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Faster justice

10 September 2025
Issue: 8130 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , In Court
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County court cases are speeding up, with the median time from claim to hearing 62 weeks for fast, intermediate and multi-track claims—5.4 weeks faster than last year

Small claims times fell 2.4 weeks to 40.6 weeks from claim to hearing. The courts also heard more cases—a 23% rise to 512,000 claims in the same period, April to June 2025.

The figures, revealed last week in the latest ‘Civil justice statistics quarterly’, appear to show problems easing at the beleaguered court, described in July by the Justice Committee as ‘dysfunctional’.

However, Damian Bradley, partner at Express Solicitors, said research undertaken with the Association of Consumer Support Organisations shows claims times are ‘a postcode lottery’, ranging from 82 days in St Helens to more than 800 days in Canterbury and Medway, and 1,004 days in Hastings.

Issue: 8130 / Categories: Legal News , Profession , In Court
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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Hugh James—Phil Edwards

Serious injury teambolstered by high-profile partner hire

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Freeths—Melanie Stancliffe

Firm strengthens employment team with partner hire

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

DAC Beachcroft—Tim Barr

Lawyers’ liability practice strengthened with partner appointment in London

NEWS
Ceri Morgan, knowledge counsel at Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLP, analyses the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Johnson v FirstRand Bank Ltd, which reshapes the law of fiduciary relationships and common law bribery
The boundaries of media access in family law are scrutinised by Nicholas Dobson in NLJ this week
Reflecting on personal experience, Professor Graham Zellick KC, Senior Master of the Bench and former Reader of the Middle Temple, questions the unchecked power of parliamentary privilege
Geoff Dover, managing director at Heirloom Fair Legal, sets out a blueprint for ethical litigation funding in the wake of high-profile law firm collapses
James Grice, head of innovation and AI at Lawfront, explores how artificial intelligence is transforming the legal sector
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