Since 2016, when an overhaul of their systems was first announced, there have been pledges from HM Courts & Tribunal Service that the Court Service would be modernised and this was to include the expanded use of modern technology and new online portals for certain areas of work. I, for one, have yet to see any significant impact of the modernisation programme on my day-to-day work.
There are significant fears from some that the Court Service is very ill-equipped to deal with the consequences of the reforms being implemented by the Renter’s Rights Act 2026. With delays in some courts already significant, and the waiting time for first possession hearings already exceeding the 8 weeks envisaged by the Civil Procedure Rules in some places, any further delays could mean that the County Court simply grinds to a halt under the pressure of dealing with an influx of claims.
Is there a glimmer of hope however? At the Birmingham Court Users meeting which took place on 16 April 2026, details were provided to attendees of the plans to further digitise possession claims.
The intention of HM Courts and Tribunal Service is to replace the current PCOL system with a new digital platform which will deal with a greater array of possession claims and not just rent possession claims, which is all PCOL is currently able to process.
Much like the current PCOL system, landlords will be guided through the issue process online and will be required to provide details such as tenancy terms and conditions, the Grounds for possession relied upon, details of the Notices served and relied upon, the rent position and will have to upload all supporting documents onto the digital platform.
Issued possession proceedings will still be served in paper format and the Defendant will be given the option to respond either online or on paper. If paper responses are submitted, they will then be uploaded onto the digital system by the court office.
The new platform is designed to keep all claims online throughout, including the handling of any counterclaims brought by Defendants.
Finer details will be given in due course and, at the moment, there is expected to be a limited rollout of the new platform from July 2026. The initial rollout will apply only to early adopter courts and will initially be limited to social housing claims. Birmingham County Court is not an early adopter court, and it is unknown at present which courts will be the first to roll this system out. It’s a case of “watch this space” for now.
But, is a new digital platform going to fully resolve the delays that Court Users are meeting in possession proceedings? In my view, whilst the proposed new platform would be most welcome, the source of the delays runs much deeper and further investment will be needed.
Take a recent example I have encountered – I issued a possession claim in February 2026 based on extremely serious anti-social behaviour. Significant violence had been exhibited by the Defendant toward a neighbour and resulted in a conviction for grievous bodily harm being secured. The landlord is therefore relying on the mandatory Ground 7A primarily. We made an application to abridge time for service and for the first hearing to be listed urgently given the very serious risk of harm posed by the Defendant to anyone in the locality. The application to abridge time for service was considered on papers and the judge ordered that the application be listed urgently for a without notice hearing. The “urgent” hearing I have received is for mid-July – a wait time of 5 months! The application designed to obtain a much more expedient hearing has in fact caused at least a 5-month delay instead.
My complaints have been ignored and I have had no further communication from the Court Office. The delays here have undoubtedly been caused by lack of judicial availability and a lack of listing time. The delay in responding to my complaints to the Court Office are most likely caused by an overall backlog of work and a lack of staff to tackle it. Is a new online portal going to assist here? I would have to say that the answer appears to be a resounding, no.
Whilst a new online system for the issue of claims may mean that we are not waiting weeks and weeks for the return of an issued claim, without other investment in judicial sitting times and Court staff, I cannot see how the delays in the system can be tackled.
If you’d like to discuss this topic further, please get in touch with our housing management team.