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.
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 Small claims have largely been replaced by simple procedure.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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