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The Speed of Justice

Author

Listed:
  • Florence Kondylis

    (Development Impact Evaluation, World Bank)

  • Mattea Stein

    (University of Naples Federico II and Center for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF))

Abstract

Can procedural reforms improve judicial efficiency? And do improvements in judicial efficiency benefit firms? We combine the staggered rollout of a reform that required judges in Senegal to complete pretrials within four months with high-frequency caseload data and firm tax filings. The reform improved judicial efficiency, with no effect on quality. Firm monthly revenues drop by 8–11% upon entering pretrial and decline by on average 3.2–5.0% for every hundred days a case spends in pretrial. Survey results show firms are willing to pay higher legal fees to achieve postreform speed, suggesting positive benefits of the reform on firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Florence Kondylis & Mattea Stein, 2023. "The Speed of Justice," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 105(3), pages 596-613, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:tpr:restat:v:105:y:2023:i:3:p:596-613
    DOI: 10.1162/rest_a_01097
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Philipp Barteska & Jay Euijung Lee, 2024. "Bureaucrats and the Korean export miracle," Discussion Papers 2024-11, Nottingham Interdisciplinary Centre for Economic and Political Research (NICEP).
    2. Banerjee, Biswajit & Herrala, Risto, 2024. "Testing the impact of liquidation speed on leverage using Indian data," BOFIT Discussion Papers 6/2024, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    3. Johannes Buckenmaier & Eugen Dimant & Ann-Christin Posten & Ulrich Schmidt, 2021. "Efficient Institutions and Effective Deterrence: On Timing and Uncertainty of Formal Sanctions," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 62(2), pages 177-201, April.
    4. Chemin, Matthieu & Chen, Daniel L. & Di Maro, Vincenzo & Kimalu, Paul & Mokaya, Momanyi & Ramos-Maqueda, Manuel, 2022. "Data Science for Justice: The Short-Term Effects of a Randomized Judicial Reform in Kenya," TSE Working Papers 22-1391, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    5. Woodruff, Christopher & Sadka, Joyce & Seira Bejarano, Enrique, 2018. "Information and Bargaining through Agents: Experimental Evidence from Mexico’s Labor Courts," CEPR Discussion Papers 13261, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Matthieu Chemin, 2020. "Judicial Efficiency and Firm Productivity: Evidence from a World Database of Judicial Reforms," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 102(1), pages 49-64, March.
    7. Aberra, Adam & Chemin, Matthieu, 2021. "Does legal representation increase investment? Evidence from a field experiment in Kenya," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    8. Djankov, Simeon & Melcarne, Alessandro & Ramello, Giovanni B. & Spruk, Rok, 2025. "Timely justice as a determinant of economic growth," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 238(C).
    9. Joyce Sadka & Enrique Seira & Christopher Woodruff, 2024. "Information and Bargaining through Agents: Experimental Evidence from Mexico’s Labour Courts," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 91(6), pages 3677-3711.
    10. Chemin, Matthieu & Kimalu, Paul & Newman-Bachand, Simon, 2024. "Courts, Crime and Economic Performance: Evidence from a Judicial Reform in Kenya," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    11. Decarolis, Francesco & Mattera, Gianpiero & Menon, Carlo, 2020. "Delays at the Border: Court Efficiency and Delays in Public Contracts," CEPR Discussion Papers 14856, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • K41 - Law and Economics - - Legal Procedure, the Legal System, and Illegal Behavior - - - Litigation Process
    • D73 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Bureaucracy; Administrative Processes in Public Organizations; Corruption
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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