Supreme Court more popular with visitors – and litigants

Visitors to the UK Supreme Court were up by almost one third in 2014-15 compared to the previous year, according to the court's annual report published today.

A record 105,000 people came to observe hearings and find out more about the justices’ work. 

The court also sat for more days during 2014-15 (up from 127 to 136 sitting days), though heard fewer appeals and gave fewer judgments in that time (down from 120 to 89 and from 115 to 81 respectively). Hearings were longer on average, more appeals were heard by panels of seven or nine justices, and there were fewer "linked" appeals where different cases about the same legal issues were heard together.

Applications for permission to appeal rose by 34% to 269, with a particular increase in requests to bring criminal appeals and public law cases about employment, housing and taxation, though there was a drop in applications relating to questions of legal procedure. A smaller proportion of applications were actually successful, in judicial review, immigration and family law cases, though the proportion of criminal and housing cases accepted for a full hearing rose.

Analysis of judgments handed down by the Supreme Court during the year shows fewer cases considering crime, immigration and taxation issues than in 2013-14, while there were more decisions relating to prisoner detention and contract law.

The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which is co-located with the Supreme Court, heard more appeals during 2014-15 (60 compared to 51) and gave considerably more judgments (57 compared to 32).

The court’s net operating cost fell to under £4.5m, compared with the £5.2m recorded in 2013-14. Together the Supreme Court and Judicial Committee spent £12.4m, almost half of which was judicial and staff costs, and recouped almost £8m in court fees and other income.

Activities undertaken to support the work of justices include projects to bring free wi-fi to court users, a trial of e-filing of court documents, further reduction in energy usage, and what is thought to be the first ever live production of a radio programme from a British courtroom.

Click here to view the full report.