'Pronounced rise' in claims against public bodies

Some 855 claims were made, up from 576 in 2024, according to Burges Salmon and data analytics platform Solomic’s updated ‘Public Sector Litigation Report’, published last week. The report notes the increase is driven by claims where public sector bodies are defendants. Moreover, disputes are taking years to resolve, although the median time for judicial reviews has fallen across the board.

Tom Whittaker, director at Burges Salmon, said: ‘The 2025 data is a real inflection point.

‘After years of broadly falling volumes, we’re now seeing a pronounced rise in claims. For in house teams and their advisers, the message is clear: be prepared for sustained caseload pressure, and plan for disputes that can run for the long term.’