Coronavirus (COVID-19): Justice Analytical Services data report - June 2021
This pack provides information on the impact of COVID-19 on the Justice system during June 2021.
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 June there was a increase in disposals, while initiations decreased from the previous month.
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, but both decreased from the previous month. Summary cause is much lower than 2019-20 levels, and also decreased from the previous month in line with overall initiations. Small claims have largely been replaced by simple procedure.
Likewise, disposed cases for ordinary cause and simple procedure are returning to 2019-20 levels. Ordinary cause disposals increased in line with overall disposals, but simple procedure decreased. Summary cause disposals are returning to 2019-20 monthly average levels, and have increased steadily since March 2021. 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 | Feb-21 | Mar-21 | Apr-21 | May-21 | Jun-21 | 2019/20 monthly average |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initiated | ||||||
| Ordinary cause | 1,577 | 2,161 | 1,676 | 1,838 | 1,796 | 1,928 |
| Summary cause | 209 | 228 | 181 | 274 | 266 | 1,132 |
| Small claim | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Simple procedure | 2,181 | 1,823 | 1,369 | 2,311 | 1,680 | 2,695 |
| Total initiated | 3,967 | 4,213 | 3,226 | 4,423 | 3,742 | 5,758 |
| Disposed | ||||||
| Ordinary cause | 1,047 | 1,428 | 1,254 | 1,374 | 1,638 | 1,445 |
| Summary cause | 284 | 644 | 724 | 794 | 848 | 1,096 |
| Small claim | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 5 |
| Simple procedure | 1,754 | 2,148 | 2,000 | 2,079 | 1,928 | 2,306 |
| Total disposed | 3,087 | 4,224 | 3,978 | 4,247 | 4,440 | 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 initiation, with some month to month variation. Family cases in June nearly matched the 2019-20 average levels while the other case types shown are much lower.
- There was an increase in disposals for the second month in a row. For the case types presented below, all but Debt have increased from the previous month.
| Initiated Cases (June 21) | Disposed Cases (June 21) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2021 | Change from 19-20 | Case Type | June 2021 | Change from 19-20 |
| 1,016 | 96% of 19-20 average month (1,055 cases) | Family | 1,043 | 115% of 19-20 average month (910 cases) |
| 387 | 64% of 19-20 average month (602 cases) | Children’s Referrals | 144 | 55% of 19-20 average month (260 cases) |
| 2,001 | 69% of 19-20 average month (2,883 cases) | Debt | 2,214 | 94% of 19-20 average month (2,368 cases) |
| 248 | 62% of 19-20 average month (402 cases) | Personal Injury | 224 | 73% of 19-20 average month (306 cases) |
Further Information:
Latest published Civil Justice Statistics can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/civil-justice-statistics-scotland-2019-20/
Contact
Email: Justice_Analysts@gov.scot
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