There were 19,379 county court judgments (CCJs) against businesses in England and Wales during the third quarter of 2016, a year on year fall of 25 percent. The total value of CCJs was £71.5m, down 12 percent. While the total number and value of CCJs fell to their lowest level since before the financial crisis, the average value rose 17 percent to £3,686, the first rise in average value for four years. These trends were consistent between CCJs recorded against corporate and the generally smaller non-corporate businesses, though the former represents the bulk of the figures.
The High Court issued 26 judgments in Q3 2016, to a total value of £26.3m. The average value of a High Court judgment was just over £1m, the highest third quarter average on record. “These last pre-Brexit figures show businesses in good shape,” said Registry Trust chairman Malcolm Hurlston CBE. “Over the rest of the year we shall see how businesses and their creditors are reacting.”
