The House of Commons Justice Select Committee published a highly critical report on 21 July 2025 on the state of the County Courts, describing the system as “dysfunctional”, having failed to deliver civil justice across England and Wales.

The report identifies a wide range of issues alongside recommendations for reform. 

Many regular users of the County Courts will agree that significant and unpredictable delays, together with a lack of transparency in communication and differences in the approach of courts around the country, pose a severe challenge to progressing claims efficiently. 

We have highlighted several key issues identified by the Select Committee’s report:

Delays

The report finds current delays in the County Courts to be unacceptable, with little improvement seen since the pandemic. It criticises the civil justice quarterly statistics for lacking transparency and failing to enable data-driven oversight, making it difficult to compare regional court performance.

The Select Committee urges HM Courts and Tribunals Service (“HMCTS”) to collect and publish detailed data for individual courts and tribunals. It is thought this would help identify regional disparities and better inform future reforms.

It also calls on HMCTS to reimburse legal and travel costs wasted due to over-listing or poor court administration that results in adjourned or delayed hearings.

To ease delays, the report recommends a wider use of remote hearings, reducing the need for in-person appearances.

Contacting the Court

The report finds that communication with the County Court is fundamentally broken. Many court users struggle to find appropriate contact details, and centralised phone lines and email inboxes are often unmonitored—leaving queries unanswered.

The Select Committee recommends assigning dedicated case handlers or a single point of contact for claimants, ensuring accountability and a clear line of communication as cases progress.

Access to Justice

The report is particularly critical of the treatment of litigants-in-person, stating that they are not given adequate support. The language used in court processes is often seen as outdated and inaccessible, procedural guidance is lacking, and assistance is minimal.

It calls for improved and clearer guidance explaining court procedures, responsibilities, and the consequences of missing deadlines. It also recommends collecting more data on litigants-in-person to inform better support services.

Digitisation 

The report calls for an urgent review of all descoped modernisation projects and a renewed commitment to digital reform. Without this, the courts remain “an incomplete and inefficient system” operating at great public cost.

It questions why County Courts still rely on paper files, which only adds to the delays and contradicts the Ministry of Justice’s stated goal of digital transformation. Replacing paper-based processes with enhanced digital systems—including better use of email and online communication—is seen as essential.

Mandatory Mediation 

Looking ahead, the report suggests that any future review of the County Courts should evaluate the potential for mandatory mediation to reduce the burden on the courts and improve outcomes.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said they would consider the findings and respond in due course. Until then, all eyes remain on how, and how quickly, these seemingly deep-rooted issues will be addressed.