Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report - December 2021
This pack provides information on the impact of COVID-19 on the Justice system during December 2021.
Data has been gathered from a number of different sources and may be subject to future revision.
Sheriff Court Civil Case Volumes
Initiations and disposals
Initiations in the Sheriff Civil Courts remain lower than the 2019-20 typical levels, while disposals have almost returned to 2019-20 levels (see dotted lines). In December, numbers for both initiations and disposals were lower than previous months due to fewer court days as a result of the festive period.
Sheriff Court cases by procedure
Initiated case numbers for ordinary cause and simple procedure are returning to 2019-20 monthly average levels, with month to month variation. Ordinary cause numbers in December were the lowest since August 2021 and much lower than the 2019-20 average levels. There was an increase in simple procedure cases in December. Summary cause is much lower than 2019-20 levels, and the number of cases decreased from the previous month. Small claims have largely been replaced by simple procedure. The lower numbers in December reflect the fewer court days available due to the festive period.
Likewise, disposed cases for ordinary cause and simple procedure are returning to 2019-20 levels. Both simple procedure and ordinary cause disposals in December were lower than the 2019-20 average levels. They were additionally lower than the previous month in line with overall disposals due to few court days during the festive period. Summary cause disposals are returning to 2019-20 monthly average levels, with fluctuations observed from month to month since August. However, there was a decrease in disposals from the previous month.
Summary cause figures are heavily influenced by the emergency legislation which protected tenants during the pandemic, brought into force in April 2020 as part of Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020. The provisions of the Act expired on 30 March 2021.
| Procedures | Aug-21 | Sep-21 | Oct-21 | Nov-21 | Dec-21 | 2019/20 monthly average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initiated | ||||||
| Ordinary cause | 1,856 | 1,804 | 1,783 | 1,908 | 1,580 | 1,928 |
| Summary cause | 287 | 349 | 345 | 361 | 262 | 1,132 |
| Small claim | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Simple procedure | 1,824 | 1,854 | 2,130 | 1,715 | 1,811 | 2,695 |
| Total initiated | 3,967 | 4,007 | 4,258 | 3,984 | 3,653 | 5,758 |
| Disposed | ||||||
| Ordinary cause | 1,501 | 1,383 | 1,420 | 1,412 | 1,280 | 1,445 |
| Summary cause | 658 | 578 | 647 | 561 | 407 | 1,096 |
| Small claim | 18 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Simple procedure | 1,892 | 1,526 | 1,682 | 2,022 | 1,766 | 2,306 |
| Total disposed | 4,069 | 3,495 | 3,750 | 3,997 | 3,455 | 4,852 |
1. Figures exclude summary applications.
2. Figures for initiations and disposals do not necessarily refer to the same cases.
3. Excludes Sheriff Personal Injury Court.
Focus on case types
- The case types presented below show gradual return to 2019-20 levels of initiations, with some month to month variation. Children's Referrals cases in December were higher than the 2019-20 average levels, while the other case types shown are lower. December figures were lower than previous months due to fewer court days as a result of the festive period.
- Family and Children's Referrals disposals in December were closer to the 2019-20 average levels (both at 92%), while Debts and Personal Injury were lower. Similar to initiated cases, these disposal numbers were affected by fewer court days in December.
| Initiated Cases (Dec 2021) | Disposed Cases (Dec 2021) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case Type | Dec 2021 | Change from 19-20 | Dec 2021 | Change from 19-20 |
| Family |
848 | 84% of 19-20 average month (1,014 cases) | 822 | 92% of 19-20 average month (892 cases) |
| Children's Referrals | 734 | 122% of 19-20 average month (602 cases) | 238 | 92% of 19-20 average month (260 cases) |
| Debt | 2,157 | 75% of 19-20 average month (2,883 cases) | 1,912 | 81% of 19-20 average month (2,368 cases) |
| Personal Injury | 274 | 68% of 19-20 average month (402 cases) | 177 | 58% of 19-20 average month (306 cases) |
Further Information: Latest published Civil Justice Statistics
Contact
Email: Justice_Analysts@gov.scot
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