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Council of Europe publishes assessment report on European judicial systems and launches new interactive database - information about Romania
On average, European States have increased the budget of their judicial system significantly (+ 7,11 % in 2010-2012; + 8,87 % in 2012-2014), a press release sent to ACTMedia reads. This positive trend - which should be confirmed during the next evaluation exercise - seems to mark for most States the end of the budget cuts imposed in recent years as a result of the economic and financial crisis.
- Romania has increased its budget per capita for the judicial system between 2012 and 2014 compared to the previous evaluation (2010-2012). It has risen from 23 euros to 35 euros.
- A budget increase in Romania is partly due to a sharp increase in legal costs following the implementation of the new Code of Criminal Procedure as from February 2014. A significant increase in expenses related to salaries is also linked to regularisations for court staff and prosecution and a growing number of posts filled (resulting in the payment of additional social contributions and more repayments related to transportation expenses, medical expenses, housing, etc.).
- In general, European states’ users of the public service of justice are increasingly called upon to finance the judicial system, through taxes and judicial fees. The increase in the revenues from court taxes/fees in some states or entities can be explained by changes of a legislative (Romania) or organisational (UK-Scotland) nature, or as a result of an increase in the number of cases (Estonia).
- Around 9 euros per capita are spent on average by the European States onlegal aid. It is noteworthy that behind this average there are significant variations depending on the States. The median is 2 euros per capita which implies that half of the responding States or entities spent less than 2 euros per capita on legal aid in 2014. Moreover, 13 States are situated under the threshold of 1 euros (Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and Ukraine).
-Romania emphasizes the continuous commitment on the part of the State since 2008 to promote legal aid.
-Number of cases granted legal aid: Romania extends the eligibility to a relatively large number of cases but limit the amounts allocated. In 2014, there were 419 cases per 100,000 inhabitants and a budget of 102 euros per case.
- In 2014 Romania had 21 judges per 100,000 inhabitants, which is the same as the European average, and 12 prosecutors per 100,000 inhabitants, slightly higher than the European average (11).
- In Romania there is a larger number of female judges and prosecutors compared to other countries: on the whole there is parity, despite the continued existence of a “glass ceiling” blocking access to higher responsibility positions. InRomania, the percentage of women increases with each instance (73 % in first instance, 74 % in second instance and 84 % in Supreme Court). Moreover, more than a half of presidents’ offices are entrusted to women.
-The analysis of the state of development of IT leads to a confirmation of the trend outlined in previous reports: most States have invested significantly in IT for the functioning of their courts. In Romania there is an ongoing development in equipment and legal framework but an early development in governance in the courts.