Courts data
HM Courts & Tribunal Service (HMCTS) is responsible for the administration of the criminal, civil and family courts in England and Wales, tribunals in England, and non-devolved tribunals in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
HMCTS is an executive agency, sponsored bythe Ministry of Justice (MOJ). The Ministry of Justice publishes the official statistics relating to the operation of the criminal and civil justice systems, including courts and tribunals. These are published on a quarterly basis and are the best, most comprehensive figures on this topic for most purposes.
Courts data overview
Family court cases starting
Jan-Dec 2021 (source). Data for 2022 is not available. Please refer to the relevant publication for further explanations of these categories.
Tribunals receipts overview
Apr 2020 - Mar 2021 (source). Data for 2021/22 is not available.
Virtually all criminal court cases in England and Wales start in a magistrates' court. The less serious offences (summary and some triable either-way) are handled entirely in magistrates' courts.
More serious offences (triable either-way or indictable only) are passed via the magistrates' court on to the Crown Court, either for sentencing after the defendant has been found guilty or for a trial with a judge and jury. The Crown Court also receives appeals against decisions of the magistrates' courts.
The magistrates' court is the first tier of criminal courts in England and Wales and is presided over by three ‘Justices of the Peace’ (known as lay magistrates) or by a district judge.
The Crown Court is a single entity that sits at various court centres across England and Wales, it predominately deals with serious criminal cases. Unlike the magistrates' court, trials in the Crown Court have a jury to determine the guilt of defendants and a judge which can impose tougher sentences.
See criminal court statistics at MOJ for further information.
Magistrates' courts receipts
1,231,661
Value for 2022. View time series for magistrates' courts receipts
Magistrates' courts disposals
1,246,845
Value for 2022. View time series for magistrates' courts disposals
Magistrates' courts outstanding
339,771
Value for 31 Dec 2022. View time series for magistrates' courts outstanding
Magistrates' courts total number of trials
88,724
Value for 2022. View time series for magistrates' courts total number of trials
Magistrates' courts effective trials
40%
Value for 2022. View time series for magistrates' courts effective trials
Magistrates' courts cracked trials
38%
Value for 2022. View time series for magistrates' courts cracked trials
Magistrates' courts ineffective trials
22%
Value for 2022. View time series for magistrates' courts ineffective trials
Crown court total number of trials
26,303
Value for 2022. View time series for crown court total number of trials
Crown courts effective trials
37%
Value for 2022. View time series for crown courts effective trials
Crown courts ineffective trials
37%
Value for 2022. View time series for crown courts ineffective trials
Civil cases are those that do not involve family matters or failure to pay council tax. Civil cases are mainly dealt with by county courts and typically relate to debt (these generally being issued for a specified amount of money), the repossession of property, personal injury (these generally being issued for an unspecified amount of money), the return of goods and insolvency. Particularly important, complex or substantial cases are instead dealt with in the High Court.
See civil justice statistics at MOJ for further information.
Civil courts - total claims
1,538,846
Value for 2022. View time series for civil courts - total claims
Civil courts - claims defended
249,595
Value for 2022. View time series for civil courts - claims defended
Civil courts - claims allocated to track
159,477
Value for 2022. View time series for civil courts - claims allocated to track
Civil courts - claims gone to trial
53,664
Value for 2022. View time series for civil courts - claims gone to trial
Civil courts - total judgments
901,278
Value for 2022. View time series for civil courts - total judgments
Family law is the area of law that deals with:
- Public law - local authority intervention to protect children;
- Private law - parental disputes concerning the upbringing of children;
- Matrimonial cases - divorces, annulments and separations;
- Financial remedy (formerly known as 'ancillary relief') - financial provisions after divorce or relationship breakdown;
- Domestic violence remedy orders;
- Forced marriage protection orders;
- Female genital mutilation protection orders;
- Adoption;
- The Mental Capacity Act; and
- Probate
See family court statistics at MOJ for further information.
These measures show the annual total number of cases starting in family courts in England and Wales.
Family court - total cases started
265,679
Value for 2021. View time series for family court - total cases started
Family court - total cases disposed
249,731
Value for 2021. View time series for family court - total cases disposed
Domestic violence remedy orders
31,061
Value for 2022. View time series for domestic violence remedy orders
Female genital mutilation protection
53
Value for 2022. View time series for female genital mutilation protection
Applications made under the Mental Capacity Act 2005
46,182
Value for 2022. View time series for applications made under the mental capacity act 2005
Probate service - applications for grants of representation
291,941
Value for 2022. View time series for probate service - applications for grants of representation
Office of the Public Guardian - total power of attorney applications registered
777,741
Value for 2022. View time series for office of the public guardian - total power of attorney applications registered
Tribunals are specialist judicial bodies which decide disputes in particular areas of law. Appeals to tribunals are generally against a decision made by a government department or agency. The main exception to this is the employment tribunal where cases are on a party v party basis (specifically, employee versus employer). There are tribunals in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland covering a wide range of areas affecting day-to-day life. His Majesty’s Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) administers many of them although some are the responsibility of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
These measures show the annual total number of tribunals receipts by jurisdiction.
Tribunals receipts - overall
304,566
Value for 2020/21. View time series for tribunals receipts - overall
Tribunals disposals - overall
265,628
Value for 2020/21. View time series for tribunals disposals - overall
First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber)
39,742
Value for 2021/22. View time series for first tier tribunal (immigration and asylum chamber)
Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber)
2,359
Value for 2020/21. View time series for upper tribunal (immigration and asylum chamber)
Employment tribunals disposals
41,622
Value for 2020/21. View time series for employment tribunals disposals
Social security and child support
95,058
Value for 2021/22. View time series for social security and child support