Overview
475,808 NEW JUDGMENTS WERE PROCESSED IN HALF YEAR 1 2020 WITH A TOTAL VALUE OF £1,127,725,812
During the period between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2020, 97% of judgments came from courts in England and Wales.
The median value for judgments this quarter was £760, while the average was £2,370 a 14% and 34% year on year increase, respectively.
England and Wales
The number of County Court Judgments (CCJs) issued against consumers in the first half of 2020 (HY1 2020) was 320,494 compared to 587,433, a fall of 45 percent compared to the same period last year according to figures released today (31/07/2020) by Registry Trust. This is the lowest half year number recorded since 2013.
The total value of judgments registered fell by one-third to £567 million, down from £850 million in HY1 2019. But, the average value of judgments rose by over one fifth (22 percent) from £1,447 to £1,768. The median value also rose from £600 to £749, an increase of 25 percent. Significantly fewer judgments are being issued, but for higher values.
A different picture emerges with High Court consumer judgments. The number rose from 59 to 160, an increase of over 170 percent over the period. The total value also rose significantly from £26 million to £49 million, an increase of 85 percent. The median value of High Court judgments increased by 138 percent from £29,143 to £69,500. But, the average value fell by 32 percent from £448,913 to £305,846. The smaller number of High Court judgments means that data can be subject to large fluctuations.
County Court Judgments (CCJs) registered against businesses England and Wales fell by nearly 30 percent in the first half of 2020 (HY1 2020), compared to the same period in 2019, according to figures released today (31/07/2020) by Registry Trust.
The number of CCJs against businesses fell from 65,724 in HY1 2019 to 46,117 in HY1 2020. This was the lowest number of business judgments registered in a half year since 2017. The total value of business judgments fell less, by 18.5 percent, from £202 million to just under £165 million.
The average value of business judgments rose from £3,077 to £3,574, an increase of 16 percent compared to HY1 2019. The median value saw a bigger rise from £1,012 to £1,225, up 21 percent over the period.
CCJs against smaller unincorporated businesses fell by 32 percent, from 16,532 to 11,218. The total value of CCJ debt owed by small businesses in the half year fell by nearly one third from nearly £49 million to just over £33 million.
The value of judgments against larger incorporated businesses fell by 14 percent from over £153 million to under £132 million, while the number fell by 29 percent from 49,192 to 34,899. The average value rose by 21 percent from £3,120 to £3,775.
High Court Judgments against businesses rose by 579 percent from 24 to 163. But, the total value of High Court judgments against businesses grew by 768 percent from £18 million to over £155 million. As a result, the average value of High Court judgments rose by 28 percent. This suggests there was a number of very large judgments taken out in the half year.
Scotland
The total amount of debt registered against Scottish consumers in the first half of 2020 fell by 20 percent, from nearly £24 million to just under £19 million, according to figures released today (31/07/2020) by Registry Trust. The number of decrees fell by over 26 percent from 9,310 to 6,849. The average value rose by over eight percent from £2,532 to £2,742 meaning fewer but larger decrees were registered.
The number of decrees against Scottish businesses also fell by 13 percent, from 1,140 to 990. The total value of decrees against businesses saw a large fall of 47 percent, from over £9 million to just under £5 million. The average value also fell by nearly 39 percent, from £8,231 to £5,045.
Decrees against incorporated businesses fell by just over one percent from 850 to 839. But, the total value fell by more than half (55 percent) from over £8 million to under £4 million. The average value also fell by 55 percent from £9,829 to £4,463.
Decrees against smaller businesses also fell, by nearly a half from 290 to 151, over the period. But, the total value of decrees rose by more than 20 percent from just over £1 million to nearly £1.3 million. The average value of decrees against smaller business more than doubled from £3,549 to £8,288 as a number of high value cases distorted the average value.
Northern Ireland
The number of debt judgments against Northern Ireland consumers fell by nearly 40 percent in the second half of 2020 compared to same period last year, from 3,136 to 1,900, according to figures released today by Registry Trust.
The value of judgment debt owed by Northern Irish consumers for the half year fell even more, by just over 50 percent, from £8.5 million to £4.2 million. The average value of consumer judgments also fell from £2,275 to £2,206, a decrease of 19 percent over the same period.
The period also saw a large fall in the number and value of judgments against businesses in Northern Ireland from 615 to 353, a fall of nearly 43 percent. The total value of judgments against businesses fell from £1.6 million to £1.2 million, a fall of 21 percent compared to the same period last year.
But, the average value rose significantly by 37 percent from £2,573 to £3,251. This suggests creditors are enforcing against fewer but larger debts.
Republic of Ireland
The number and total value of judgments registered against Irish consumers fell sharply in the first half of 2020 compared to the same period last year. But, a different pattern emerged with judgments against businesses.
The number of judgments against consumers fell by 45 percent, from 1,160 to 632, while the total value fell by 62 percent, from over €72 million to just under €28 million.
The average value of consumer judgments fell by nearly 30 percent, from €62,470 to £43,973. The median value fell by a much greater percentage, by 41 percent, from €13,218 to €7,796.
Judgments against Irish businesses actually rose from 250 to 315, a rise of 26 percent over the period. But, the total value registered against businesses fell by over 12 percent, from €4.9 million to €4.3 million, meaning the average value fell by over 30 percent from €19,484 to €13,545. The median value dropped to €5,842, a 28 percent fall from the €8,155 seen in the first half of 2019.
Jersey
The number and value of judgments issued in the Jersey Petty and Royal Courts against consumers fell sharply in the second half of 2020. The total number of judgments issued against consumers fell from 678 last year to 465, a fall of 31 percent compared to the same period in 2019.
The total value of judgments issued against consumers fell by nearly 60 percent from £2.1 million to just £845,127. The average value fell from £3,102 to £1,817, a drop of over 41 percent.
Judgments against Jersey businesses saw even sharper falls. The numbers of judgments against businesses in the first half of 2020 fell to 27, a fall of nearly 70 percent from the 88 issued in the same period of 2019.
The value of business judgments registered in the half year was just over £100,000, a huge fall of 92 percent compared to the £1.3 million in the same period 2019. The average value of business judgments fell by nearly three quarters, from £14,281 to £3,720.
The sharp falls seen in the first half of 2020 are almost entirely down to the fact that judgment activity against consumers and businesses virtually ceased in the second quarter of 2020.