On Thursday 8 June, the European Commission published the eleventh edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard, which provides an overview of the Member States’ judicial systems in terms of efficiency, quality and independence.
“These developments enable the Commission to gain a better understanding of the organisation of national judicial systems and to highlight the challenges and best practices”, said the European Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, during his presentation. This year, the Scoreboard presents new data in 16 areas, including the fight against corruption and the duration of related procedures, which is, according to Mr Reynders, “a major step forward”.
Access to justice for vulnerable people (see EUROPE 13191/15) is also one of the developments. For the first time, precise information on the salaries of judges and prosecutors, as well as the highest constitutional courts, has also been included.
The main findings of the 2023 edition reveal that public perception of the independence of the judiciary has improved in 15 Member States since 2016.
As for the fight against corruption, cases brought before the criminal courts are resolved within 1 year in 12 Member States, while in others they can take up to 4 years.
The Scoreboard also highlights the progress made in digitalising judicial systems, although only eight Member States fully authorise the use of remote communication and digital evidence.
Furthermore, access to justice for people at risk of discrimination, the elderly and victims of sexual and domestic violence varies from country to country.
The information provided by the Scoreboard will be used to prepare the Commission’s annual report on the rule of law, to monitor compliance with the recommendations addressed to the Member States as part of the ‘European Semester’ process, and to evaluate the implementation of the national recovery plans.
Read the document: https://aeur.eu/f/7dt (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)