The number of pending cases before the Small Claims Tribunal fell to 820 in 2014 from 1,216 in 2011, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said this morning.

In an overview of progress made in the tribunal since changes to its administration were introduced in September, Dr Bonnici told a press conference that between 2012 and 2013 there was a consistent decrease in the number of decided cases.

But, as a result of the reform, the number of decided cases shot up to 1,054 last year from 858 in the previous year.

Dr Bonnici said the efficiency of the tribunal was measured by the time it took for proceedings to be completed, the increase in the rate of decided cases compared to new incoming claims and a decrease in the number of pending cases.

In September last year a number of reforms were introduced. They led to the tribunal reaching 'unprecedented levels of efficiency'.

The reforms included opening of cases and filing appeals online and the introduction of new payment system. Presiding officers started being paid according to the number of cases they decided instead of per sitting.

Dr Bonnici noted that while the number of pending cases was falling, the number of new cases was increasing, reflecting confidence in the tribunal.

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