Caseload, Case Disposal and Waiting Time at Different Court Levels



►CASELOAD AND CASE DISPOSAL OF THE DISTRICT COURT

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Caseload Disposal *
2018 2019 2020 2018 2019 2020
Criminal Jurisdiction
Criminal Cases 1 188 961 1 119 988 1 201 774
Civil Jurisdiction
Civil 6 067 7 053 7 037 4 649 4 977 4 810
Tax Claim 1 831 1 564 778 1 517 1 281 858
Distress for Rent 3 424 4 783 4 923 3 344 4 650 4 660
Employee's Compensation 3 038 3 046 2 659 3 008 2 869 2 542
Other civil cases + 7 093 9 496 8 756 5 709 4 792 3 990
Sub-total 21 453 25 942 24 153 18 227 18 569 16 860
Family Jurisdiction
           
Matrimonial Causes 16 458 15 393 12 363 14 933 15 223 11 023
Joint Applications 6 540 6 681 4 939 5 388 5 934 4 997
Miscellaneous Proceedings 275 262 215 244 236 204
Adoption Applications 72 50 68 55 45 52
Sub-total 23 345 22 386 17 585 20 620(1) 21 438(1) 16 276(1)
Total (Civil) 44 798 48 328 41 738 38 847 40 007 33 136
Total 45 986 49 289 42 857 39 835 41 208 33 910
Masters Chambers
           
Interlocutory hearings** 7 683 10 382 9 744 6 634 7 988 6 283
Taxation bills
           
Divorce 941 823 611 870 766 603
Others 379 525 450 320 370 277
Sub-total 1 320 1 348 1 061 1 190(2) 1 136(2) 880(2)
Total 9 003 11 730 10 805 7 824 9 124 7 163
* Case disposal refers to those where defendants have been convicted or acquitted and those where claims have been successfully made or dismissed
+ Other civil cases include Miscellaneous Proceedings, Stamp Duty (Ordinance) Appeals, Equal Opportunities Actions, Personal Injuries Cases, Occupational Deafness (Compensation) Appeals, Pneumoconiosis (Compensation) Appeals, Estate Agents Appeals and Stop Notice Cases (a new case type created to capture stop notice cases with effect from 3 September 2018)
** 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

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Average Waiting Time (days)
Target 2018 2019 2020
Criminal - from first appearance of
defendants in District Court to hearing
100 187 191 210
Civil Fixture List - from date of listing to hearing 120 95 95 105
Civil Running List - from not-to-be-warned date to hearing 30 16 21 28
Dissolution of marriage - from setting down of a case to hearing        
Special Procedure List
35 35 35 35
Defended List (all hearings)
110 111 89 69
Financial applications - from setting down of a case to hearing
110-140 90 81 85