Formula over Function? From Algorithms to Values in Judicial Evaluation

This paper discusses the forms and effects of the ‘invasion’ of the ‘temples of the law’ by new economic and managerial forms of performance evaluation. While traditional judicial evaluation focused on how to select and promote individual judges and on the legal quality of the single case, new quantitative methods and formulas are being introduced to assess efficiency, productivity and timeliness of judges and courts. Building on two case studies, from Spain and the Netherlands, the paper illustrates two contrasting approaches to judicial performance evaluation. On the one hand individual judg... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Francesco Contini
Richard Mohr
Marco Velicogna
Dokumenttyp: Artikel
Erscheinungsdatum: 2014
Reihe/Periodikum: Oñati Socio-Legal Series, Vol 4, Iss 5, Pp 1099-1116 (2014)
Verlag/Hrsg.: Oñati International Institute for the Sociology of Law
Schlagwörter: Judicial evaluation / performance studies / management / Spanish Judiciary / Dutch Judiciary / Evaluación judicial / estudios de rendimiento / gestión / Poder Judicial Español / Poder Judicial Holandés / Social legislation / K7585-7595
Sprache: Englisch
Spanish
baq
Französisch
Portuguese
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-27404982
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
Powered By: BASE
Link(s) : https://doaj.org/article/24f9072a0f744d738bd88f239558b17c

This paper discusses the forms and effects of the ‘invasion’ of the ‘temples of the law’ by new economic and managerial forms of performance evaluation. While traditional judicial evaluation focused on how to select and promote individual judges and on the legal quality of the single case, new quantitative methods and formulas are being introduced to assess efficiency, productivity and timeliness of judges and courts. Building on two case studies, from Spain and the Netherlands, the paper illustrates two contrasting approaches to judicial performance evaluation. On the one hand individual judges' productivity is evaluated through quantitative data and mathematical algorithms: in the extreme case considered here, judge's remuneration was adjusted accordingly. On the other hand quantitative and qualitative data, collected by a variety of methods and theoretical frameworks, are used as the basis of a multi-layered negotiation process designed to find a synthesis between competing economic, legal and social values aimed at improving overall organizational performance. Considering the flaws of unidimensional measurement and evaluation systems and considering the incommensurability of the results of the multiple evaluative frameworks (economic, legal, sociological) required to overcome such flaws, the authors argue there is a need for political dialogue between relevant players in order to allocate the values appropriate to judicial evaluation. Este artículo analiza las formas y efectos de la “invasión” de los “templos de la ley” por nuevas formas económicas y de gestión como la evaluación del rendimiento. Mientras que la evaluación judicial tradicional se ha centrado en la forma de seleccionar y promocionar a jueces individuales, y en la calidad jurídica de un caso individual, hoy en día se están introduciendo nuevos métodos cuantitativos y fórmulas para determinar la eficiencia, productividad y oportunidad de jueces y tribunales. A partir de dos estudios de caso de España y los Países Bajos, el artículo ilustra dos ...