On Tuesday 11 June, the European Commission published the 12th edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard, which assesses the efficiency, quality and independence of Member States’ justice systems.
This 2024 edition introduces data on the accessibility of legal professions for people with disabilities, with 75% of courts adapted, and on access to justice for consumers, with 14 states having specialised judges. Salaries for judicial experts and public prosecutors are below the average salary in 17 and 18 Member States respectively. Judicial independence is reinforced by independent judicial councils in 15 Member States.
According to this document, the perception of judicial independence within the EU has improved, including in countries facing systemic problems such as Poland and Hungary. Since 2016, a Eurobarometer survey has shown that the general public’s perception of judicial independence has improved or remained stable in 19 Member States, a trend also observed among businesses. In 14 Member States, prosecutors are appointed by independent councils or the prosecution service. In the remaining 12 cases, judicial review is generally required before the executive can intervene. As regards the dismissal of public prosecutors, 20 Member States confer this power on the executive or parliament, often on the basis of a proposal from the judicial council, with review possible in 16 States.
In addition, six Member States allow the admissibility of digital evidence in all branches of law and nine severely restrict online procedures, underlining the urgent need to digitise judicial systems. Twenty Member States have put in place measures to promote the participation of professionals with disabilities in the judicial system, while 26 provide child-friendly information on the rights of victims or suspects and 18 give priority to cases involving children.
The data will be incorporated into the Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law Report and will be used to assess Member States’ recovery plans. And with good reason, as the Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Values, Věra Jourová, pointed out in a press release: “An independent and effective judicial system is essential for democracy and the rule of law”.
The document: https://aeur.eu/f/clz (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)