The Wait Gets Longer: An Analysis of Recent Information on Court Delays

The length of care proceedings in England has been growing steadily longer since the implementation of the Children Act 1989, even though reducing delay was one of the Act's specific objectives. Figures from eight areas show that, for cases ending in 2000, the average duration ranged from over eight months to a year, depending on area. A significant number of children are waiting much longer. More than ten per cent of cases in a sample from one local authority had been waiting more than two years for a court decision. Chris Beckett presents the evidence and discusses the reasons as well as some possible ways forward.