European judicial systems – Edition 2016 (2014 data). Efficiency and quality of justice (2016)

The 2016 edition of the report by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), which evaluates the functioning of judicial systems in 45 Council of Europe’s Member states as well as in Israel, an observer state to the CEPEJ, continues the process carried out since 2002, focusing on main indicators .

In addition, it presents, for the first time, the CEPEJ dynamic statistical database – available on internet. Relying on a methodology which is already a reference for collecting and processing large numbers of quantitative and qualitative judicial data, this unique study has been conceived above all as a tool for public policy aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of justice.

The objective of the CEPEJ in preparing this report is to enable policy makers, justice practitioners, researchers as well as those who are interested in the functioning of justice in Europe, to have access to the information needed to be able to understand, analyse and reform.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. The evaluation process of the CEPEJ
1.1 The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice
1.2 The scheme for evaluating judicial sys tems
1.3 Data collection, validation and analysis
1.4 General methodological is sues
1.5 General economic and demographic data
1.6 Analys ing the findings of the report

Chapter 2. Budgets of judicial systems
2.1 Annual budge t of the whole jus tice system
2.2 Annual public budget of the judicial system
2.3 Budget allocated to courts
2.4 Annual public budget allocated to the public prosecution services
2.5 Court taxes or fees
2.6 Annual public budget allocated to legal aid
2.7 Trends and conclusions

Chapter 3. Judicial staff and lawyers
3.1 Judges
3.2 Prosecutors
3.3 Other staff in courts
3.4 Lawyers

Chapter 4. Court organisation and court users
4.1 Organisation of the court system
4.2 Quality of the court system and court users
4.3 Monitoring of the violations of ECHR Article 6

Chapter 5. Efficiency and quality of the activity of courts and public prosecutors
5.1 General overview of court workload
5.2 Civil and commercial justice (litigious cases)
5.3 Administrative justice
5.4 Criminal justice
5.5 Trends and conclusions

Council of Europe: Human rights and rule of law: The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice http://www.coe.int/T/dghl/cooperation/cepej/default_en.asp

Council of Europe: CEPEJ Studies No. 23: Europea n judicial systems. Efficiency and quality of justice [2016 Edition] http://www.coe.int/T/dghl/cooperation/cepej/evaluation/2016/publication/CEPEJ%20Study%2023%20report%20EN%20web.pdf

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