Recent data shows that European countries allocate only a small fraction of their budgets to justice systems, especially compared to other public sector investments. Like many areas of public spending, justice systems across Europe have experienced financial challenges due to global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These financial difficulties have worsened problems like court backlogs and staff shortages in numerous countries.
Newly released statistics from the Council of Europe’s European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) highlight the limited funding for justice systems across Europe. This report also included data from countries outside Europe, such as Morocco and Israel, and was based on information gathered in 2022. The findings reveal that European countries spend, on average, only around 0.31% of their GDP on justice, which translates to about €85.40 per inhabitant each year.
In general, wealthier countries like Switzerland, Monaco, and Luxembourg tend to allocate more funds to their justice systems, with their spending sometimes surpassing €200 per inhabitant annually. In contrast, less affluent countries, such as Montenegro, Ukraine, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, allocate a larger percentage of their GDP to justice despite having fewer economic resources. CEPEJ notes that this reflects a relatively higher effort by these countries in terms of their financial capabilities.
The commission emphasized that these statistics should not be interpreted as a ranking, but rather as a way to compare various countries and observe broader trends. The spending breakdown reveals that the majority of the justice budget in Europe goes toward courts, which account for approximately two-thirds of total spending. A quarter of the justice budget is directed toward public prosecution, while 11% goes to legal aid.
Although spending on courts and public prosecution has increased by 11.74% and 18.75% respectively, there has been a notable decrease of 16% in spending on legal aid since 2020, according to the Council of Europe. Wealthier nations, with a GDP per capita of more than €20,000, generally invest more in legal aid. On average, 24% of their judicial budget is allocated to legal aid, while less affluent countries only spend around 3% on this area.
https://www.cpmrevenuegate.com/vt6hstxc?key=785582df3563a5011d6a42a72f53041eh
Legal aid is available in all 46 Council of Europe member states, though the conditions for accessing it vary widely. In some countries, certain groups, such as victims of domestic or sexual violence and asylum seekers, are automatically entitled to legal aid.
Women have a strong representation in Europe’s justice systems. As of 2022, the continent had an average of 22 judges, 12 public prosecutors, and 180 lawyers per 100,000 inhabitants. However, significant disparities exist between countries due to differences in judicial systems and other factors, such as whether lay judges are used. Across Europe, women outnumber men in both judicial and prosecutorial roles, with women accounting for 57% of judges and 54% of public prosecutors.
However, despite this high representation, the so-called “glass ceiling” remains a reality. Although there has been progress in breaking through this barrier, with more women rising to senior positions, the presence of women in top leadership roles within the judiciary remains limited.
When it comes to salaries, European judges earn significantly more than the average national salary in their respective countries. At the start of their careers, judges earn 2.5 times the average national income, and by the end of their careers, their salaries are 4.9 times higher than the national average. Public prosecutors also earn more than the average national salary, though to a lesser extent. At the beginning of their careers, prosecutors earn 1.9 times the national average, with this figure rising to 3.7 times the national salary for those working at the Supreme Court level.
https://www.cpmrevenuegate.com/vt6hstxc?key=785582df3563a5011d6a42a72f53041eh
In terms of access to justice, 44 Council of Europe countries provide free online access to legal texts and case law. However, in three countries—France, Luxembourg, and Spain—citizens are required to pay court fees for both civil and criminal cases. Despite this, there has been a trend toward more efficient judicial systems across Europe.
Although the number of courts is decreasing in some countries, alternative dispute resolution methods and digital solutions are becoming more prevalent. These innovations are helping courts to operate more effectively, with improvements in case processing times since 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted judicial operations. However, the speed at which cases are processed varies depending on the type of case and the level of jurisdiction.
Overall, the findings from the CEPEJ report shed light on the complexities and challenges facing justice systems across Europe. Wealthier countries generally invest more in their judicial systems, but the less affluent nations are making significant efforts to keep their justice sectors functioning despite limited resources. Meanwhile, the balance between funding for courts, prosecution, and legal aid continues to be a point of concern, particularly as legal aid spending has declined. The representation of women in the justice system is a positive development, though challenges remain in achieving true gender parity at the highest levels of the judiciary.
