Litigants forced to abandon their day in court due to over-listing are under-settling claims because they cannot face returning, MPs have been told.
Giving evidence to the justice committee of the House of Commons on Tuesday, barrister Elizabeth Gallagher said the adjournments forced by courts' block listing are now turning people away from pursuing access to justice.
Gallagher, a member of the Personal Injury Bar Association, said that courts list matters beyond the capacity of available judges in the expectation that cases will drop out.
But when most proceed to court, a logjam leaves clients bewildered and lawyers often out of pocket.