The fastest trial dockets in the US are in Virginia where it takes a median time of only 15.1 months from summons to trial (including, remarkably, class actions and patent cases). The slowest is in New York where the median period is 39.6 months. The fast jurisdictions call their trial dockets “Rocket Dockets”.
The Virginia figure is an impressive statistic and should be the aim of all courts. Access to justice means speedy and efficient access to justice. In South Africa the bread cartel case reached the Constitutional Court on preliminary issues in 2016 which is 10 years after the events giving rise to the claim. These delays are not only in the hands of the courts and include client and lawyer delays.
