Work of the County Court
Justice Committee
Closed
Inquiry
This inquiry examines the Work of the County Court amid long-standing concerns over court capacity and resources. It comes as data on the work of the County Court shows the time taken from claim to hearing continues to rise. Read the Call for evidence to find out more about this inquiry .
13
Recommendations
30
Conclusions
1
Report
3
Oral sessions
3
Letters
3
Events
Activity timeline 11 events
9 Dec
2025
2025
17 Oct
2025
2025
Report published
21 Jul
2025
2025
Report published
10 Jun
2025
2025
21 May
2025
2025
8 Apr
2025
2025
Oral evidence
8 Apr
2025
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Thatcher Room, Portcullis House
18 Mar
2025
2025
Oral evidence
18 Mar
2025
2025
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · The Grimond Room, Portcullis House
7 May
2024
2024
Oral evidence
7 May
2024
2024
Formal meeting (oral evidence session) · Room 8, Palace of Westminster
Oral evidence sessions 3 sessions
8 Apr 2025
View on parliament.uk
Daniel Flury · HM Courts and Tribunals Service
Jason Latham · HM Courts and Tribunals Service
Sarah Sackman MP · Ministry of Justice
Steven Jarman · Ministry of Justice
18 Mar 2025
View on parliament.uk
Lord Justice Colin Birss · Judiciary of England and Wales
Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Vos · Judiciary of England and Wales
7 May 2024
View on parliament.uk
Dr Natalie Byrom · Faculty of Laws, UCL
Elizabeth Gallagher · Temple Garden Chambers
Emily Giles · The Hyde Group
Matthew Maxwell Scott · The Association of Consumer Support Organisations (ACSO)
Reports 1 report · click to expand
| Title | HC No. | Published | Items | Response |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Report - Work of the County Court | HC 677 | 21 Jul 2025 | 43 | Responded |
Recommendations & Conclusions
3 results
31
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
4th Report - Work of the County Co…
Introduce a single integrated case management system providing real-time status updates for all cases
A single case management system must be introduced to provide real time status updates for all cases, integrating both Reform and legacy systems. (Recommendation, Paragraph 130)
Government Response
The government accepts the recommendation in principle, stating real-time status updates are available on new digital services and will be introduced as part of possession digitalisation, but does not explicitly commit to a single system integrating all legacy and Reform cases.
Ministry of Justice
View details
33
Recommendation
Accepted in Part
4th Report - Work of the County Co…
Issue a single reference number for all claims, integrating paper and digital systems
All claims must be issued a single reference number regardless of the “off-ramps and on-ramps” between paper and digital systems. (Recommendation, Paragraph 137)
Government Response
The government accepts in part, stating that HMCTS systems use different case numbers but they are updating Reform systems to ensure users are provided with the correct applicable reference numbers for each case, regardless of system transitions.
Ministry of Justice
View details
38
Conclusion
Accepted in Part
4th Report - Work of the County Co…
Piecemeal digitisation hinders full adoption of digital court processes and AI capabilities
Despite the bold ambitions of the Ministry of Justice, the piecemeal approach that has been taken to digitisation hampers any intentions of adopting a fully digital court process. Existing systems inhibit the early adoption of AI or a move to …
Read more
Government Response
The government accepts in part, detailing the AI Action Plan for Justice published in July 2025 which outlines a responsible approach to AI adoption across the justice system, and highlighting ongoing HMCTS pilots for AI-powered solutions to improve court operations.
Ministry of Justice
View details
Correspondence 3 letters
9 Dec 2025
Correspondence from Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, dated 8 December 2025: HMCTS Capital Estate Investment Spending (April 2023 - March 2025)
Parliament page
10 Jun 2025
Correspondence from Daniel Flury, HMCTS Operations Director, dated 29 May 2025 relating to the oral evidence session held on 8 April 2025
Parliament page
21 May 2025
Correspondence from Sarah Sackman KC MP, Minister for Courts and Legal Services, dated 15 May 2025 relating to the oral evidence session held on 8 April 2025
Parliament page