The problem
Cases are worked in the order they arrived. The statutory clock does not run in that order, so the case that breaches is rarely the oldest one.
Why it matters
A missed statutory date is a regulatory event, not a service level. Sorting by age produces breaches while the queue looks healthy.
The approach
Sort by time remaining against each case's own statutory date, and band the population by how much room is left rather than by how long it has waited.
Judgement calls
Cases already past their date stay in the view rather than moving to an exception list, because a breach that leaves the screen stops being worked.
Where else it applies
Any deadline bound queue: regulatory filings, subject access requests, incident notification, claims handling, permit renewals.
The data
Entirely synthetic, generated from a fixed seed. Case references and applicant details are generated.