Debt judgements fall in Northern Ireland

Both the number and total value of small claims and High Court judgments in Northern Ireland have decreased in the first half of 2019 compared to the same period the previous year, according to figures released by Registry Trust.

In the first six months of 2019 there were 3,721 defaults and small claims judgments. This is a 19 percent decrease compared to HY1 2018 figures. The total value fell by 16 percent to £7.8million, though the average value increased by four percent to £2,094.

Record lows can be seen in the number and total value of High Court judgments in Northern Ireland during the first half of 2019. There were 30 High Court judgments, five fewer than in HY1 2018. The total value of judgments in the High Court fell by 19 percent to £2.3 million and the average value decreased by five percent to £77,935.

The total value of judgments in the first half of the year in all courts in Northern Ireland was £10.1m compared with £12.2m in HY1 2018.

During the first six months of 2019, 3.33 percent of judgments were marked as satisfied.  This is an increase from last year despite the volume of judgments falling this year.  This contrasts with 13.88 percent satisfaction in England and Wales, where satisfaction rates are generally higher owing to differences between legal systems.

Trust deputy Chairman Mick McAteer said: “Although concerns have been expressed about the robustness of the Northern Ireland economy during this period of pre-Brexit uncertainty, the latest analysis from Registry Trust showing significant falls in judgments paints a more positive picture. But, it is too early to reach conclusions as these falls could represent legacy problems falling out of the system. We will continue to monitor the data to see if these improvements are sustained.”

Statistics

	Q1+Q2 2018	Q1+Q2 2019	Change (compared with Q1+Q2 2018)
Defaults and small claims
volume	4,603	3,721	-19%
total value	£9.3m	£7.8m	-16%
Average* value	£2,019	£2,094	+4%
High Court judgments
volume	35	30 [record low]	down five
total value	£2.9m	£2.3m [record low]	-19%
Average* value	£82,095	£77,935	-5%

* Average value refers to the ‘mean’. The mean average tends to be higher than the median, as it is more likely to be distorted by outlying, high value cases.