The 7th edition of the EU Justice Scoreboard has just been released by the European Commission. It assists Member States in addressing the challenges they are facing in line with European standards. It serves as a basis for an informed dialogue to focus on tailored solutions, depending on the specific circumstances in a given country.
It continues to develop the different indicators on efficiency, quality and
independence, and takes a closer look at the breakdown of governments’ expenditure. The Scoreboard presents a first overview on standards for the quality of judgements, looks at the functioning of prosecution services and intensifies the focus on independence.
As the related press release notes, “Challenges as regards perception of judicial independence are growing: According to a Eurobarometer survey published today, in two-thirds of Member States, the perception of judicial independence has improved, as compared to 2016. However, compared to last year, the public’s perception of independence has decreased in about three-fifths of all Member States [AT, NL, DE, LU, BE, EE, EL, CZ, PT, HU, RO, PL, ES, BG, SK, HR]. Possible political interference or pressure is the main reason for the perceived lack of independence of courts and judges.”
