Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said this morning that the Small Claims Tribunal has increased its efficiency and for the first time in 2014 the number of pending cases went below the number of newly introduced cases.

Addressing a press conference, Dr Bonnici said the number of pending cases between the tribunal fell to 820 in 2014 from 1,216 in 2011. Last year, the tribunal decided on 123 cases for every 100 newly opened cases.

The Justice Minister said the number of undecided cases increased in 2012 and 2013 but dropped drastically in 2014, following reforms and changes to the tribunal’s administration. These reforms led to “unprecedented levels of efficiency.” These included opening of cases and filing appeals online and the introduction of a new payment system, where the judiciary is paid according to the cases closed rather than per sitting.

Another factor, he said, was the hard work by the members of the judiciary. This hard work was turning the reforms in the sector into a success.

The tribunal can hear cases where claims have a value up to €3,494.