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Time efficiency as a measure of court performance: evidence from the Court of Justice of the European Union

Author

Listed:
  • Timothy Yu-Cheong Yeung

    (KU Leuven
    Center for European Policy Studies)

  • Michal Ovádek

    (University of Gothenburg)

  • Nicolas Lampach

    (KU Leuven)

Abstract

This work proposes an alternative measure of court performance, namely, time efficiency, which is equal to the length of a verdict divided by the time needed to resolve the case. Using the data of resolved judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) from 1954 to 2017, we show that, first, backlog causes time efficiency to fall using a vector autoregression model (VAR), and, second, the lowest value of time efficiency coincides with the establishment of the General Court in 1989. We argue with evidence that the improvement of time efficiency since 1989 was a result of the reform of the CJEU.

Suggested Citation

  • Timothy Yu-Cheong Yeung & Michal Ovádek & Nicolas Lampach, 2022. "Time efficiency as a measure of court performance: evidence from the Court of Justice of the European Union," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 53(2), pages 209-234, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:ejlwec:v:53:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1007_s10657-021-09722-5
    DOI: 10.1007/s10657-021-09722-5
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Court productivity; Court of Justice of the European Union; Judicial speed; Verdict length; Quantitative approach;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C23 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Single Equation Models; Single Variables - - - Models with Panel Data; Spatio-temporal Models
    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • K41 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Litigation Process
    • O52 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Europe

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