The facility to open cases online and the way adjudicators are paid have contributed to a more efficient Small Claims Tribunal, according to the government.

New figures published yesterday show that the number of pending cases in front of the tribunal has dropped to 820 in 2014 from 1,216 in 2011. Last year, it decided 1,054 cases compared to the 858 in 2013 and 1,018 in 2012.

The time taken to close a case has improved by one-third over four years, dropping to 284 days in 2014 – the lowest recorded.

Justice Minister Owen Bonnici yesterday gave an update on the workings and im-proved efficiency of the tribunal since the introduction of a number of reforms.

He said a claim or appeal could now be opened online. Another “major contributor” was the new payment system, under which the six adjudicators were being paid for the number of cases they closed instead of per sitting.

The tribunal’s efficiency is measured by the time it takes for proceedings to be completed, the rate at which it decides cases compared to incoming claims and the number of pending cases.

The tribunal is responsible for monetary claims up to a value of €3,494.

“Even though it’s called small claims, it really isn’t – these cases are crucial to the economy,” Dr Bonnici said.

The efficient handling and settling of these claims helped small businesses that, for example, were waiting to be paid for work done.

“It leaves a positive impact on the local economy and on a European level.”