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<p>A comparative assessment of variations in the lengths of waiting lists in the county
and family courts in each region of England is not available, however the Ministry
of Justice publishes quarterly statistics on civil and family justice on the GOV.UK
website. These datasets were most recently updated in September and October 2022:
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-justice-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2022"
target="_blank">Civil justice statistics quarterly: April to June 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/family-court-statistics-quarterly-april-to-june-2022#full-publication-update-history"
target="_blank">Family Court Statistics Quarterly: April to June 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)</a>.</p><p>The
impact of the pandemic in courts has been felt across all jurisdictions. However,
the impact has been uneven across England and Wales, with civil and family court users
in some areas experiencing longer waiting times than in others.</p><p>We are continually
working, in close partnership with the judiciary, to improve the service in the county
and family courts. We are replacing inefficient processes with our reformed digital
services, using available courtroom capacity and supporting the use of remote hearings
(where a judge deems it appropriate) to maximise the number of sitting days utilised
in the jurisdiction.</p><p>These efforts are beginning to show improvements, for example,
in possession cases measures of timeliness to first hearing have improved, with over
90% of courts now offering a first hearing within eight weeks compared to 60% in January.</p><p>The
MoJ and the judiciary have taken and are taking action to increase judicial capacity
across all jurisdictions. This includes a recruitment programme of around 1,000 judges
and tribunal members in 2022/23. HMCTS is also working to ensure we have sufficient
staffing resource in place to support the number of sitting days utilised across jurisdictions.</p>
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