Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Justice Analytical Services data report: January 2022

This pack provides information on the impact of COVID-19 on the Justice system during January 2022.


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). Numbers for both initiations and disposals increased in January, recovering from the lower numbers in December as a result of fewer court days.

Chart: Initiations and disposals
Line graph showing case volumes remain low, but are recovering to 2019-20 typical levels.

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 January were the lowest since September 2021 and much lower than the 2019-20 average levels. Simple procedure and summary cause cases increased in January. Simple procedure was the highest it has been since September 2021 and nearly matched 2019-20 average levels. Small claims have largely been replaced by simple procedure.

Likewise, disposed cases for ordinary cause and simple procedure are returning to 2019-20 levels. Simple procedure and summary cause disposals increased from the previous month but still lower than the 2019-20 average levels. There was a small decrease in Ordinary cause 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 Sep-21 Oct-21 Nov-21 Dec-21 Jan-22 2019/20 monthly average
Initiated            
Ordinary cause 1,804 1,783 1,908 1,580 1,455 1,928
Summary cause 349 345 361 262 298 1,132
Small claim 0 0 0 0 0 2
Simple procedure 1,854 2,130 1,715 1,811 2,648 2,695
Total initiated 4,007 4,258 3,984 3,653 4,401 5,758
Disposed            
Ordinary cause 1,383 1,420 1,412 1,280 1,208 1,445
Summary cause 578 647 561 407 468 1,096
Small claim 8 1 2 2 0 5
Simple procedure 1,526 1,682 2,022 1,766 1,984 2,306
Total disposed 3,495 3,750 3,997 3,455 3,660 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. Debt cases in January were higher than the 2019-20 average levels, while the other case types shown are lower.
  • Children's Referrals disposals in January were higher than the 2019-20 average levels (105%), and Debts were closer at 92%. Family and Personal Injury were lower.
Initiated Cases (Jan 2022) Disposed Cases (Jan 2022)
Case Type Jan 2022 Change from 19-20 Jan 2022 Change from 19-20

Family
807 80% of 19-20 average month

(1,014 cases)
746 84% of 19-20 average month

(892 cases)
Children's Referrals 561 93% of 19-20 average month

(602 cases)
273 105% of 19-20 average month

(260 cases)
Debt 2,923 101% of 19-20 average month (2,883 cases) 2,188 92% of 19-20 average month (2,368 cases)
Personal Injury 267 66% of 19-20 average month (402 cases) 157 51% of 19-20 average month (306 cases)

Further Information:

Latest published Civil Justice Statistics

Contact

Email: Justice_Analysts@gov.scot

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