JUDICIAL STATISTICS 1998

The Annual Report of the Lord Chancellor’s Department shows that the number of proceedings commenced in the Chancery Division fell by 2% to 37,428 and in the Queen’s Bench Division by 5% to 114,984. In family proceedings there was an increase of 1% in divorce petitions to 165,870 whilst adoption orders rose by 10% to 4,675. Claims in the county court rose by 2% with 1,946,700 default actions of which 98,692 were disposed of by the Small Claims procedure, whilst mortgage possession actions rose by a massive 19% to 79,637.