Improving court administration is a common goal of judicial reform. Court administration experts have identified the essential components of court services and developed metrics for assessing efficiency and quality. ‘Court performance standards’ have become an important tool for deploying limited…
Courts employ many professionals to assist first-instance and appellate judges with the adjudication and administration of court proceedings. Unlike in the United States, court personnel may serve in a quasi-judicial capacity and many are part of the national civil service…
Courts play a central role in the administration of justice. Effective governance and court management are essential. Judiciaries have adopted different strategies for creating leadership structures, developing their budgets, staffing administrative positions, and ensuring public access to…
Defining Customary Law
Customary law is a set of laws based on the traditions, customs, or norms of a local community. It is applied in many countries around the world, often in conjunction with civil, common, and religious legal systems.
As with any legal system,…
As of 2021, 55 countries permit capital punishment and more than 70% of nations have abolished it in law or practice. There were 579 executions carried out in 2021 by 18 countries. Methods used included beheading, hanging, lethal injection, and shooting.
Civil litigation ends. The prevailing party seeks to enforce the final judgment, usually the payment of money, seizure of property, or an order to do or refrain from an activity.
Nations vary in the enforcement mechanisms for judgments. The process is usually set forth…
The majority of international development assistance supports hunger prevention, healthcare, education, water, sanitation, and security.
Sources of FundingMost funding for international rule of law assistance comes from one of four sources: (1) multilateral organizations, (…
This page offers information about the incarceration rates of the eight countries profiled in the resource on comparative sentencing policy. It also highlights the growing practice of public-private partnerships for prison administration.
Hover over a bubble for country-…