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A Comparative Analysis of Judicial Power, Organisational Issues in Judicature and the Administration of Courts

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Fair Trial and Judicial Independence

Part of the book series: Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice ((IUSGENT,volume 27))

Abstract

This chapter provides a comparative analysis of the organisational structure of the judiciaries, judicial power and various models of judicial administration practised in different legal systems. Focus is geared towards highlighting the relevance of organisational issues in judicature and the administration of courts to the fair trial principle and basic rights. A thorough examination is provided on the history, as well as the evolution and development of each different approach to judicial organisation, highlighting the role of judicial power and the courts. The role of politics is also addressed, especially in terms of the reform witnessed in the transition of post-communist states. Various approaches to reform in terms of judicial administration are discussed, including European examples, such as Belgium, Sweden, Italy, the Netherlands, as well as Italy, Spain, Poland, Romania, with a special emphasis on Hungary and its judicial reform in 2011.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See http://www.justice.gov.uk/index.htm

  2. 2.

    See http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2005/4/contents

  3. 3.

    http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/files/HMCS_Annual_sReport2009-2010_web.pdf

  4. 4.

    See www.dekamer.be, www.hrj.be, Commission of Inquiry, High Council for Justice, Report of the special investigation into the functioning of justice following the Fortis case.

  5. 5.

    ‘Judicial Councils are bodies entrusted with specific tasks of judicial administration and independent competences in order to guarantee judicial independence. In order to avoid excessive concentration of power in one judicial body and perceptions of corporatism it is recommended to distinguish among and separate different competences, such as selection (see para 3–4, 8), promotion and training of judges, discipline (see para 5, 9, 14, 25–26), professional evaluation (See para 27–28) and budget (see para 6). A good option is to establish different independent bodies competent for specific aspects of judicial administration without subjecting them to the control of a single institution or authority. The composition of these bodies should each reflect their particular task. Their work should be regulated by statutory law rather than executive decree’. Retrieved from OSCE website, http://www.osce.org/odihr/73487

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Law, Department for Sociology of Law, Eötvös Loránd University, Egyetem tér 1, 1053, Budapest, Hungary

    Zoltán Fleck

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  1. Zoltán Fleck
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Correspondence to Zoltán Fleck .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Law, University of Szeged, Szeged, Szeged, Hungary

    Attila Badó

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Fleck, Z. (2014). A Comparative Analysis of Judicial Power, Organisational Issues in Judicature and the Administration of Courts. In: Badó, A. (eds) Fair Trial and Judicial Independence. Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice, vol 27. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-01216-2_1

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