The good judges, low waiting times and hands-on approach of the Mercantile Courts have kept many commercial cases in the regions. Mercantile Courts have been credited with halting, or at least slowing, the inexorable flow of commercial litigation away from the regions to London. But the pressure is increasing simply to keep pace with the demand caused by their own popularity.
Some regional lawyers claim the courts are now struggling to keep waiting times down.
Short waiting lists were until now one of the Mercantile Courts' biggest selling points. Traditionally, the waiting time to have a case heard in the High Court could, at the very least, be cut in half when listing in any of the Mercantile Courts. But their growing popularity means that in some areas, the differential in listing times has shrunk dramatically. There are other anecdotal criticisms that are tarnishing an otherwise excellent record. Some lawyers suggest that in certain courts there is a worrying trend of inconsistent judgments that could seriously damage the credibility of any court.