Last month the Ministry of Justice issued the Royal Courts of Justice Tables for 2023. They record that there were 250 issued  defamation claims in 2023, no significant change from the MoJ’s 2022 figure of 233 issued claims.

However, as we noted last year  (and the year before), the Royal Courts of Justice Tables appear to substantially over-state the number of defamation claims actually issued.  On Inforrm’s analysis of issued claims in the Media and Communications list in 2023 – based on data derived from HM Courts and Tribunals E-Filing Service – the 2023 figure for issued defamation claims was 111 (and the 2022 figure 130).

The E-Filing Service (and Caseboard which uses it) provide details as to the solicitors instructed in each claim and the hearings which have taken place and, on the basis of our sampling, are substantially accurate.  The Royal Courts of Justice Tables do not provide any underlying raw data for their figures.

The MoJ figure is close to the figure for the total number of claims issued in the Media and Communications List (213) and it is possible that the discrepancy arises as a result of the classification of all claims in the list as “defamation” (including data protection, privacy, harassment and the other MAC List claims).  Whatever the reason, although the data derived from the E-Filing Service is not perfect it provides by far the best information as to the number of libel claims in fact issued.  As a result, the MoJ data should be viewed with caution.

The MoJ tables were published on 6 June 2024 (the defamation figures are in Table 4.2) along with the  “Civil justice statistics quarterly: January to March 2024“. The Civil Justice Statistics bulletin is published quarterly with additional data on the Royal Courts of Justice released annually in June each year and Privacy Injunctions released biannually (in March and September).

More details of defamation claims as recorded by the MoJ can be found in this table of claims since 1992 – adapted from a table which was originally provided to us by media solicitors RPC.

 

Claims issued in London (KB) Defamation Claims Issued in London % of all (QB) Claims £15-50k £>50k No Value Stated
2023 3,946 250 6.00 – – –
2022 4,468 233 8.00 18 44  171
2021 4,588 546 12.00 244 92  210
2020 2,266 152 7.00 29 42  81
2019 4,587 323 7.00 82 96 145
2018 4,439 265 6.00 48 196 21
2017 4,319 156 4.00 37 113 6
2016 4,123 112 3.00 42 60 10
2015 4,869 135 3.00 40 71 54
2014 5,417 227 4.00 52 119 56
2013 5,186 142 3.00 37 56 49
2012 5,549 186 3.00 65 60 61
2011 4,726 165 3.49 28 61 76
2010 4,864 158 3.24 27 47 84
2009 5,694 298 5.23 52 62 184
2008 5,173 259 5.00 43 77 139
2007 4,794 233 4.86 43 45 145
2006 4,246 213 5.02 24 39 150
2005 3,841 252 6.56 43 70 139
2004 4,292 267 6.22 30 31 206
2003 3,514 190 5.41 22 15 153
2002 4,394 128 2.91 1 1 126
2001 5,122 220 4.30
2000 5,599 241 4.30
1999 10,317 236 2.29
1998 21,684 379 1.75
1997 23,411 452 1.93
1996 29,834 201 0.67
1995 31,737 560 1.76
1994 37,450 418 1.12
1993 56,567 336 0.59
1992 83,852 337 0.4