A new set of court statistics have been published that supports the case for a comprehensive reform programme across the justice system.
For the first time, the regular quarterly court statistics show the average duration of civil and family cases at every County Court. This will enable the public to see how quickly cases are handled at their local court, and to compare it to other courts across England and Wales.
The new timeline statistics show that in July to September 2011, care proceedings took 55 weeks on average to complete.
Ministers have already committed to a series of reforms to speed up the family justice process. The Government-commissioned Family Justice Review was published by an independently chaired panel in 2011. It will form a key evidence base for reform of the family justice system.
The Government has already committed to some of the Review’s recommendations including:
- Introducing a 6 month time limit for care cases to be completed, so that the system provides the best service to those at the heart of the system – children.
- Agreeing with the Panel’s strong focus on mediation for separating couples, as a more practical and amicable alternative to court, especially for children. The Government will be increasing funding for this by two thirds to £25 million a year.