District courts decided nearly half a million civil cases in 2013

In 2013, district courts concluded 491,700 civil cases, which is nearly five per cent more than one year earlier. A total of 441,700 civil matters were decided, which is 4.5 per cent more than one year before. The number of petitionary matters was 50,000, which is eight per cent more than one year earlier. These data derive from Statistics Finland's statistics on Decisions by district courts in civil cases.

Civil matters at district courts in 2000 to 2013

As in the previous years, most of the decided civil matters (68%) concerned matters pertaining to indebtedness and receivables. Matters relating to indebtedness and receivables at district courts were such as consumption credits (incl. quick loans) and receivables on credit cards. In all, nearly 299,000 matters relating to indebtedness and receivables were decided in 2013, which is 11 per cent more than one year earlier. The strong growth in the number of matters pertaining to indebtedness and receivables that started after the mid-2000s slowed down in 2010, but continued again from 2011. The growth halted in 2013: only a couple of thousands more such new matters came before district courts than in the previous year. In addition to matters relating to indebtedness and receivables, civil matters were decided in the case groups of service contracts, commissions, agreements regarding the product of work (14%), personal property (10%), and tenancy cases (6%).

Fewer new cases, also fewer cases carried forward to the following year

In 2013, five per cent fewer new matters came before district courts than in 2012. The decrease was caused by the lower number of civil matters. In absolute numbers, most decreased demands for payment based on service contracts, commissions, agreements regarding the product of work (e.g. telephone bill, electricity bill) and on personal property.

The number of matters carried over from 2012 to 2013 grew and the number of matters pending at the end of 2013 decreased compared with 2012. Over 117,000 pending civil cases were carried forward from 2012 to 2013. The number was over 30 per cent higher than in the year before. Matters were carried forward from 2012 most from the case groups biggest in numbers, such as matters related to indebtedness and receivables, and private property, although their processing times at district courts are generally short. At the end of 2013, 73,000 civil cases were pending, which is 20 per cent fewer than one year previously.

Decisions mainly by written preparation

Of concluded civil matters, 99.4 per cent, 438,900 matters, were decided already in the preparation phase. A total of 436,500 matters were decided in written preparation and 2,400 cases in oral preparation. In all, 0.6 per cent of the concluded civil matters proceeded to main hearing at district courts.

Numbers and average processing times of concluded civil and petitionary matters by judgment phase in 2012 and 2013

Cases/Judgment phases		2013		2012
Cases/Judgment phases		Cases concluded total	Average processing time, months	Cases concluded total	Average processing time, months
Civil matters	Judgment phases total	441 695	2,7	422 727	2,3
	Written preparation	436 503	2,6	417 256	2,2
	Oral preparation	2 371	9,8	2 386	9,1
	Main hearing	2 821	12,5	3 085	11,4
Petitionary matters	Judgment phases total	50 032	5,1	46 249	5,2
	Written preparation	46 610	5,0	43 632	5,1
	Oral preparation	1 915	5,6	1 245	7,2
	Main hearing	1 507	8,2	1 372	8,2

In 2013, the processing times of civil matters lengthened in all judgement phases compared to the previous year. Fifty-two per cent of civil matters were decided in under two months and 94 per cent in under six months. In written preparation of civil matters, the processing took 2.6 months, on average, and in matters proceeding to main hearing 12.5 months, on average. The average processing time in all concluded civil matters was 2.7 months. The processing times of petitionary matters remained at previous year's level.

The processing times varied considerably depending on the content of the matter and the judgment phase of the processing. In 2013, the processing times of civil matters were shorter than average in matters pertaining to maritime law, tenancy cases, indebtedness and receivables, and private property. The longest time was spent at matters proceeding to main hearing, which related to insurance agreements, bankruptcy and composition, responsibility for compensation outside contract, and incorporeal rights.

The processing times of petitionary matters were longer than those of civil matters, on average. In petitionary matters, the shortest processing times concerned matters relating to guardianship cases and inheritance and wills, and the longest in matters proceeding to main hearing related to marriage law and cohabiting partnership law as well as bankruptcies.

In 2013, district courts allowed the action, or settled the case as demanded by the plaintiff, in 83 per cent of the civil matters concluded. Ninety-seven per cent of the allowed actions were judgments by default, that is, settlements by the court against the absent party.

Source: Justice Statistics, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Heli Hiltunen 09 1734 3314, oikeus@stat.fi

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Updated 2.4.2014

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Decisions by district courts in civil cases [e-publication].
ISSN=2342-2408. 2013. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 19.4.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/koikrs/2013/koikrs_2013_2014-04-02_tie_001_en.html