Source · Select Committees · Justice Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
Enable litigants to recover wasted costs from HMCTS due to poor court administration.
Conclusion
Litigants must be able to recover the legal, travel, and subsistence costs from HMCTS wasted as a result of over-listing and/or poor court administration preventing their cases from being heard. (Recommendation, Paragraph 43)
Government response summary AI-generated
The government states it commissioned the Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) to review judicial salary structures, with a report due in November 2026, and will concurrently review regional District Judge recruitment exercises concluding in Spring 2026.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
Accepted
Listing is a judicial function, and over-listing is necessary due to the large volumes of cases that will settle before their hearing (approx. 45%), as this ensures that judicial resourcing and sitting day utilisation are maximised. Over-listing is managed carefully. We consider that the better strategic solution to this issue is improved, data-informed listing. HMCTS does on occasion make ex-gratia payments to individuals who have been disadvantaged due to maladministration. The number and value of these payments for HMCTS as a whole is released via the Annual Report and Accounts.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗