There is a new instrument aimed at promoting the effectiveness of justice systems in the European Union and thus enhancing economic growth. The European Commission's 'European Justice Scoreboard' provides objective, reliable and comparable data on the functioning of justice systems in the 27 EU Member States.
According to the First Justice Scoreboard 2013, the length of court proceedings varies considerably from one Member State to another. In a third of Member States, the duration of procedures is at least twice as long as in most Member States.
Problems can be compounded if low rates of case resolution lead to an increase in the number of pending cases.
The document also concludes that monitoring and evaluation contribute to improving the speed and quality of justice. Although most Member States have a comprehensive monitoring system, several of them are lagging behind in this area.
The evaluation also advocates a wider use of alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation as they reduce the workload of the courts.
The 2013 Justice Scoreboard also provides data on the time needed to resolve cases in court, the rate of procedural resolution, the number of pending cases, the use of electronic means for case management, the use of means dispute resolution, training courses for judges and court appeals.
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