CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE DISTRICT COURT
| | Caseload | Disposal* |
| | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
 | Criminal Jurisdiction | | | | | | |
| Criminal Cases | 1 449 | 1 404 | 1 396 | 1 305 | 1 375 | 1 436 |
 | Civil Jurisdiction^ | | | | | | |
| Civil | 5 515 | 4 570 | 4 994 | 4 468 | 3 427 | 3 715 |
| Tax Claim | 7 603 | 6 506 | 5 169 | 6 590 | 6 011 | 4 773 |
| Distress for Rent | 6 320 | 4 933 | 4 424 | 6 322 | 5 016 | 4 513 |
| Employee's Compensation | 1 523 | 1 606 | 2 011 | 1 159 | 1 324 | 1 563 |
| Other civil cases + | 6 368 | 5 645 | 5 796 | 3 970 | 4 534 | 4 388 |
| Sub-total | 27 329 | 23 260 | 22 394 | 22 509 | 20 312 | 18 952 |
 | Family Jurisdiction | | | | | | |
| Matrimonial Causes | 16 374 | 17 359 | 18 374 | 14 629 | 15 266 | 15 933 |
| Joint Applications | 2 889 | 3 490 | 4 169 | 2 373 | 2 901 | 3 664 |
| Miscellaneous Proceedings | 262 | 270 | 317 | 217 | 169 | 244 |
| Adoption Applications | 91 | 99 | 129 | 98 | 98 | 92 |
| Sub-total | 19 616 | 21 218 | 22 989 | 17 317(1) | 18 434(1) | 19 933(1) |
| Total (Civil)
| 46 945 | 44 478 | 45 383 | 39 826 | 38 746 | 38 885 |
| Total | 48 394 | 45 882 | 46 779 | 41 131 | 40 121 | 40 321 |
| | | | | | | |
 | Masters Chambers | | | | | | |
| Interlocutory hearings** | 10 905 | 7 828 | 7 631 | 10 572 | 7 637 | 6 786 |
 | Taxation bills | | | | | | |
| Divorce | 2 880 | 2 747 | 2 189 | 2 544 | 2 554 | 2 077 |
| Others | 764 | 502 | 458 | 685 | 425 | 315 |
| Sub-total | 3 644 | 3 249 | 2 647 | 3 229(2) | 2 979(2) | 2 392(2) |
| Total | 14 549 | 11 077 | 10 278 | 13 801 | 10 616 | 9 178 |
* | Case disposal refers to those where defendants have
been convicted or acquitted and those where claims have been successfully
made or dismissed |
^ | On or before 2009, the definition under civil jurisdiction was based on party disposal, i.e. a case was treated as disposed of once one party in a case had been disposed of. Since 2010, the definition has been refined to the effect that a case is considered as disposed of only when all the parties involved have been disposed of |
+ | Other civil cases include Miscellaneous Proceedings, Stamp Duty (Ordinance) Appeals, Equal Opportunities Actions, Personal Injuries Cases, Occupational Deafness (Compensation) Appeals, Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Appeals and Estate Agents Appeals |
** | The caseload figure represents the number of interlocutory applications listed with hearings, and the disposal figure represents the number of the interlocutory applications heard in the reporting period |
| Note (1) : Case disposal refers to Decree Absolute granted and Adoption orders made |
| Note (2) : Case disposal refers to taxation bills processed |

AVERAGE WAITING TIME FOR CASES IN THE DISTRICT COURT
| | Average Waiting
Time (days) |
| | Target | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
Criminal
- from first appearance of defendants in District Court to hearing
|
100
| 116 | 128 | 86 |
Civil
- from date of listing to hearing |
120
| 104 | 80 | 72 |
Dissolution
of marriage - from setting down of a case to hearing
| | | | |
 | Special Procedure List
|
35
| 32 | 32 | 33 |
 | Defended List (one day hearing)
|
110
| 118 | 128 | 107 |
 | Financial applications - from filing of summons to hearing
|
110-140
| 85 | 88 | 90 |

|