Admin court flourishing in the regions

Two of the country’s top legal minds have given their stamp of approval for the regionalised Administrative Courts, following the second anniversary of its operation.

President of the Queen's Bench Division, Sir Anthony May and the Liaison Administrative Court Judge to the Northern Circuit, Mr. Justice Langstaff, revealed to guests at a meeting of the Northern Administrative Law Association at Kings Chambers on 16th May, that the four courts in Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham and Cardiff were performing beyond expectations.

The courts are now managing just short of 20% of the national volume of cases, a proportionate figure to London, and those cases are handled up to twice as quickly as their counterparts in the Capital.”

“The regionalisation of the Administrative Court was necessary, right and sensible and I am happy to say that it has succeeded and will continue to do so in the future,” declared Sir Anthony May. “I fully expect that it will continue to flourish and its volume of work will increase. It delivers access to justice quickly and effectively.”

Mr Justice Langstaff pointed out the Admin Court’s success had begun to attract practitioners from other divisions. “I was recently giving a talk in York and was surprised to see over 80 crime and family practitioners in attendance. There clearly is an appetite to use this route as opportunities in other areas become harder to come by.”

To begin a case in the Administrative Courts, the costs to the litigant are just £60, with a further £200 if permission is granted. This compares favourably with county court case fees of £465 and typical multi-track charges in excess of £1000.

“There are not many cases that cannot be presented as administrative court cases if their advocate is sufficiently inventive,” added Mr Justice Langstaff. “The future is the Admin Court; it gives a tremendous social advantage to those who want access to justice.”

Sam Karim, barrister at Kings Chambers and chairman of the NALA, added that the legal profession in Manchester has been boosted by the presence of the new Admin Court: “It has become possible to build a successful regional practice for many practitioners now that cases are heard in local courts. Since opening Manchester has handled in excess of 1250 cases and Leeds just short of 1000, many of which may not have seen the light of day had their litigants been forced to bring them in London. The courts have an excellent staff and IT system, while doubts about the regional courts’ judicial strength have been proven completely unfounded.”

Sam Karim (centre) with Mr. Justice Langstaff and Sir Anthony May