Council of Europe study finds closing gender gap in judiciaries of member states

according to a major new study of different judicial systems across Europe published today by the Council of Europe.

The sixth regular evaluation report from the 47-nation Council of Europe’s European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (known by its French acronym, CEPEJ) on the efficiency and quality of justice across Europe found an overall upward trend regarding the budget of judicial systems in Europe; while certain countries affected by the economic crisis (e.g. Latvia, Lithuania, Romania and Slovenia) have been able once again to increase their expenditure, others (e.g. Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Spain) continue to undergo regular budget cuts.

On average, European countries spend €60 per inhabitant per year on the functioning of the justice system; the wealthier states are not necessarily those that spend the most.

Northern Ireland allocated €144 per capita to the judicial system in 2014 (the highest figure recorded apart from Switzerland); this compares to €92 in England & Wales, €78 in Scotland, €48 in Ireland and a Europe-wide average of €60.

The figure for Northern Ireland has increased (from €119 per capita) since 2012, whereas the figures for England & Wales (previously €103), Scotland (€84) and Ireland (€50) – as well as the overall average (€65) – have all decreased.

The implemented budget of legal aid per capita in Northern Ireland was €73.53 in 2014, by far the highest recorded; this compares to €38.14 in England & Wales, €33.28 in Scotland, €18.45 in the Republic of Ireland and a Europe-wide average of €8.64.

The amount of the implemented budget allocated to legal aid per case in England & Wales in 2014 was €1,479 (the highest figure recorded); this compares to €888 in Scotland, €456 in Germany, €342 in France and a Europe-wide average of €456.

The average gross salaries of Supreme Court judges in Northern Ireland in 2014 were 8.3 times the national average; this compares with a figure of 7.7 for England & Wales, 7.4 for Scotland and a Europe-wide average of 4.5 – only Ukraine (8.5) recorded a higher figure.

The judicial systems with the lowest percentage of females among professional judges were Azerbaijan (11 per cent), Armenia (23 per cent), Northern Ireland (23 per cent), Scotland (23 per cent), England & Wales (30 per cent) and Ireland (33 per cent); the Europe-wide average was 51 per cent.

However, for the latest statistics on the Scottish judiciary, see the Judicial Appointments Board for Scotland’s Annual Report 2015-16.