Key findings of the 2020 EU Justice Scoreboard

Pages6-55
The 2020 EU Justice Scoreboard
6
Efficiency, quality and independence are the main parameters of an effective justice system, and the Scoreboard presents indicators
on all three.
3.1. Efficiency of justice systems
The Scoreboard presents indicators for the efficiency of proceedings in the broad areas of civil, commercial and administrative cases
and in specific areas where administrative authorities and courts apply EU law (37).
3.1.1. Developments in caseload
The caseload of national justice systems decreased in a majority of Member States and remains largely below the 2012 levels, even
if it continues to vary considerably between Member States (Figure 2). This shows the importance of remaining attentive to ensuring
the effectiveness of justice systems.
Source: CEPEJ study (38)
37 The enforcement of court decisions is also important for the efficiency of a justice system. However, comparable data are not available in most Member States.
38 2019 study on the functioning of judicial systems in the EU Member States, carried out by the CEPEJ Secretariat for the Commission: https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/justice-
and-fundamental-rights/effective-justice/eu-justice-scoreboard_en
3. Key findings
of the 2020 EU Justice Scoreboard
0
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10
15
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DK A T SI PL EE HR LV SK B E FI CZ LT HU RO NL PT EL IT BG ES IE DE FR S E MT C Y LU
Figure 2
Number of incoming civil, commercial, administrative and other cases, 2012 – 2018 (*) (1st instance/per 100 inhabitants)
(*) Under the CEPEJ methodology, this category includes all civil and commercial litigious and non-litigious cases, non-litigious land and business registry cases, other registry cases,
other non-litigious cases, administrative law cases and other non-criminal cases. Methodology changes in LV (applied retroactively to 2016 and 2017 as well) SK and SE (data
for 2016 and 2017 has been adapted to include migration law cases as administrative cases, in line with CEPEJ methodology).
2012 2016 2017 2018
3. Key findings of the 2020 EU Justice Scoreboard 7
Figure 3
Number of incoming civil and commercial litigious cases, 2012 – 2018 (*) (1st instance/per 100 inhabitants)
(*) Under the CEPEJ methodology, litigious civil/commercial cases concern disputes between parties, e.g disputes about contracts. Non-litigious civil/commercial cases concern
uncontested proceedings, e.g. uncontested payment orders. Methodology changes in EL and SK. Data for NL include non-litigious cases.
Figure 4
Number of incoming administrative cases, 2012 – 2018 (*) (1st instance/per 100 inhabitants)
(*) Under the CEPEJ methodology, administrative law cases concern disputes between individuals and local, regional or national authorities. DK and IE do not record administrative
cases separately. Dejudiciarisation of some administrative procedures have occurred in RO in 2018. Methodology changes in EL, SK and SE. In SE, migration cases have been
included under administrative cases (reotractively applied for 2016 and also 2017).
Source: CEPEJ study
Source: CEPEJ study
2012 2016 2017 2018
2012 2016 2017 2018
3.1. Efficiency of justice systems 3.1.1. Developments in caseload
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BE R O LT PL C Z PT IT HR ES IE SK FR EL SI MT DE LV HU EE AT L U NL DK S E FI BG CY
NO
DATA
0,0
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0,6
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1,0
1,2
1,4
1,6
1,8
SE DE A T NL EL LT BG FI RO ES HR FR PT CY LU EE HU PL S I BE CZ L V SK IT MT DK IE
NO
DATA
8The 2020 EU Justice Scoreboard
3.1.2. General data on efficiency
The indicators on the efficiency of proceedings in the broad areas of civil, commercial and administrative cases are: estimated length
of proceedings (disposition time), clearance rate; and number of pending cases.
Estimated length of proceedings
The length of proceedings indicates the estimated time (in days) needed to resolve a case in court, meaning the time taken by the court
to reach a decision at first instance. The ‘disposition time’ indicator is the number of unresolved cases divided by the number of resolved
cases at the end of a year multiplied by 365 (days) (39). It is a calculated quantity that indicates the estimated minimum time that a
court would need to resolve a case while maintaining the current working conditions. The higher the value, the higher is the probability
that it takes the court longer to reach a decision. Figures mostly concern proceedings at first instance courts and compare, where
available, data for 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2018 (40). Two figures show the disposition time in 2018 in civil and commercial litigious
cases, and administrative cases at all court instances, and one figure shows the average length of proceedings in money laundering
cases at first and second instance courts.
39 Length of proceedings, clearance rate and number of pending cases are standard indicators defined by CEPEJ: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/cooperation/cepej/evaluation/default_en.asp
40 The years were chosen to keep the seven-year perspective with 2012 as a baseline, while at the same time not overcrowding the figures. Data for 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2015
are available in the CEPEJ report.
3.1. Efficiency of justice systems 3.1.2. General data on efficiency Estimated length of proceedings
Figure 5
Estimated time needed to resolve civil, commercial, administrative and other cases, 2012 – 2018 (*) (1st instance/in
days)
(*) Under the CEPEJ methodology, this category includes all civil and commercial litigious and non-litigious cases, non-litigious land and business registry cases, other registry cases,
other non-litigious cases, administrative law cases and other non-criminal cases. Methodology changes in SK. Pending cases include all instances in CZ and, until 2016, in SK.
LV: the sharp decrease is due to court system reform, and error checks and data clean-ups in the Court information system.
Source: CEPEJ study
2012 2016 2017 2018
0
200
400
600
800
1.000
1.200
DK LV EE LT AT SI HU NL PL FI BG HR SK SE RO CZ ES MT IT FR EL CY PT BE DE IE LU
NO DATA

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