Quality and Timeliness

The Strategic Plan of the ENCJ states as one of the Strategic Objectives the promotion of best practices in the Justice Sector for Quality Management. The first topic that will be studied within this framework is Quality and Timeliness. The aim is to identify best practices and common standars in the area of timeliness.

To that intent the Project Team sent out a Questionnaire on Timeliness to all ENCJ Members and Observers asking both for statistics on processing time and for information on how each judicial system has addressed the issue of timeliness.

In the ENCJ report on Timeliness an analysis on the various solutions used within the ENCJ for meeting the problem of long processing times is given and a list of recommended actions is included that may be taken to improve timeliness.

Preparatory work - answers to all questionnaires and relevant documentation

Questionnaire

Guide to Questionnaire

Answers

ENCJ Members:

HRJ/CSJ Belgium
Domstolsstyrelsen Denmark
OIT Hungary
Courts Service Ireland - Annex
CSM Italy
Tieslietu padome Latvia
Teisejų Taryba Lithuania
Commission for the Administration of Justice Malta
Rvdr Netherlands
KRS Poland
CSM Portugal
CSM Romania
Sudna Rada Slovakia
Sodni Svet Slovenia
CGPJ Spain
Judges Council England & Wales
Judicial Council Scotland

ENCJ Observers:

BMJ Austria
BMJ Germany
Ministerstvo Spravedlnosti Czech Republic
Oikeusministeriö Finland
Domstolsverket Sweden
Domstoladministrasjonen Norway
Ministry of Justice Cyprus

In June 2011 the ENCJ General Assembly decided to organise a series of regional timeliness seminars. The aim of the seminars is to increase awareness for the issue of Timeliness, to deepen the understanding of causes and remedies, and to discuss the recommendations and the cooperation between stakeholders, and thus to further the implementation of the recommendations. It was deemed appropriate to organise the seminars with participants from countries within a region with comparable culture and legal traditions. Representatives of all stakeholders are invited. 

The first seminar took place in April 2013 (hosted by the Polish National Judicial Council and involved Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Norway and Sweden. The second seminar took place in London on 3-4 November 2014 and was organised for England & Wales, Scotland, Northern-Ireland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Austria.

The third seminar took place on 9-10 November (hosted by the Romanian CSM) in Bucharest  for the Central and South Eastern countries. Participants came from the Judicial Councils and authorities of Albania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Montenegro, Romaina, Slovenia and Slovakia. The CEPEJ and the European Commission also attended and addressed the participants. The meeting was chaired by ENCJ coordinator Mr Niels Grubbe of Denmark and hosted by the Romanian CSM.

The fourth and last seminar took place 28-30 November 2016 in Madrid.Participants came from the Judicial Councils and judicial authorities of France, Italy, Portugal and Spain. The CEPEJ and the European Commission also attended and addressed the participants. The meeting was chaired by ENCJ coordinator Mr Niels Grubbe of Denmark and hosted by the Spanish CGPJ. The seminar focused on civil and criminal proceedings. 

2016 - Report of the Madrid seminar

Presentations

• France - changes in civil case management
• Italy - processo civile telematico
• Portugal - flying brigade
• Portugal - (re)assignment and transfer of cases, posting of judges
• Portugal - reduction and limitation of hearings
• Portugal - restriction of wintnesses and written testimonies
• Spain - mediation and adr
• Spain - small case procedures in civil matters
• L. Verzelloni - Reduction of backlog
• CEPEJ - the Saturn experience
• European Commission - DG JUST - Time-limists and time-frames in use in the EU Member States

2015 - Report of the Bucharest Seminar

Presentations

• General presentation on Timeliness
• Bulgaria: Workload Measurement  
• Romania: Efficiency Indicators
• CEPEJ: The Saturn Experience

2014 - Report of the London Timeliness Seminar. 

Presentations

• The Netherlands : The Quality and Innovation Programme
• Ireland:On-site Family Mediation Service in the Dublin Courts
• Germany: Extra-judicial and judicial mediation and attempt of settlement as aprerequisite for bringing a dispute to court.
• CEPEJ: The Saturn Centre Experiences
• Austria: Can statistics enhance performance?
• Scotland: Case management in cases concerning children
• Belgium: Facilitating digital tools for judicial decisions
• England and Wales: Reducing Timely Justice: from 55 to 26 weeks