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 by the 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 2023 (source). All Adoption Act Data for 2023 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
1,365,934
Value for 2023. View time series for magistrates' courts receipts
Magistrates' courts disposals
1,338,015
Value for 2023. View time series for magistrates' courts disposals
Magistrates' courts outstanding
370,731
Value for 31 Dec 2023. View time series for magistrates' courts outstanding
Magistrates' courts total number of trials
82,877
Value for 2023. View time series for magistrates' courts total number of trials
Magistrates' courts effective trials
41%
Value for 2023. View time series for magistrates' courts effective trials
Magistrates' courts cracked trials
37%
Value for 2023. View time series for magistrates' courts cracked trials
Magistrates' courts ineffective trials
22%
Value for 2023. View time series for magistrates' courts ineffective trials
Crown court total number of trials
28,992
Value for 2023. View time series for crown court total number of trials
Crown courts effective trials
41%
Value for 2023. View time series for crown courts effective trials
Crown courts ineffective trials
27%
Value for 2023. 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
1,714,391
Value for 2023. View time series for civil courts - total claims
Civil courts - claims defended
258,601
Value for 2023. View time series for civil courts - claims defended
Civil courts - claims allocated to track
116,534
Value for 2023. View time series for civil courts - claims allocated to track
Civil courts - claims gone to trial
53,248
Value for 2023. View time series for civil courts - claims gone to trial
Civil courts - total judgments
1,058,140
Value for 2023. 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
-
Value for 2023. View time series for family court - total cases started
Family court - total cases disposed
-
Value for 2023. View time series for family court - total cases disposed
Domestic violence remedy orders
30,353
Value for 2023. View time series for domestic violence remedy orders
Female genital mutilation protection
40
Value for 2023. View time series for female genital mutilation protection
Applications made under the Mental Capacity Act 2005
35,231
Value for 2023. View time series for applications made under the mental capacity act 2005
Probate service - applications for grants of representation
302,413
Value for 2023. View time series for probate service - applications for grants of representation
Office of the Public Guardian - total power of attorney applications registered
1,168,019
Value for 2023. 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
351,890
Value for 2022/23. View time series for tribunals receipts - overall
Tribunals disposals - overall
298,219
Value for 2022/23. View time series for tribunals disposals - overall
First Tier Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) receipts
37,773
Value for 2022/23. View time series for first tier tribunal (immigration and asylum chamber) receipts
Upper Tribunal (Immigration and Asylum Chamber) receipts
2,359
Value for 2020/21. View time series for upper tribunal (immigration and asylum chamber) receipts
UTIAC judicial reviews receipts
2,320
Value for 2022/23. View time series for UTIAC judicial reviews receipts
Employment tribunal receipts - single claims
31,134
Value for 2022/23. View time series for employment tribunal receipts - single claims
Employment tribunal receipts - multiple claims
54,884
Value for 2022/23. View time series for employment tribunal receipts - multiple claims
Employment tribunal disposals - single claims
32,273
Value for 2022/23. View time series for employment tribunal disposals - single claims
Employment tribunal disposals - multiple claims
39,501
Value for 2022/23. View time series for employment tribunal disposals - multiple claims
Social security and child support receipts
137,212
Value for 2022/23. View time series for social security and child support receipts
Special tribunals receipts
54,643
Value for 2022/23. View time series for special tribunals receipts