The government has ruled out the use of Nightingale-style courts to address court backlogs, despite ongoing concerns regarding reforms. Justice Minister Sarah Sackman confirmed this in a written parliamentary answer, where she also denied the existence of a national backlog for possession cases.
Minister Sackman stated that the Ministry of Justice is collaborating with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and HM Courts and Tribunals Service to ensure adequate resources and capacity for the additional workload expected from housing reforms. This includes the development of a new Digital Possession Service.
According to the latest quarterly data from Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics (January to March 2026), the national median time from a possession claim to an order is eight weeks. The Civil Procedure Rules suggest that standard possession claims should have their first hearing within four to eight weeks of being issued.
For the First Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which handles most residential property matters outside of possession, the government has recruited additional administrative staff, established a centralised operational hub, and updated processes to improve efficiency. They have also ensured suitable estates capacity for hearings and enhanced technology systems.