The new Edition of the report of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), which evaluates the functioning of the judicial systems in 45 Council of Europe’s member states and an observer state to the CEPEJ, Israël, remains in line with the process carried out since 2002. Relying on a methodology which is already a reference for collecting and processing a wide number of quantitative and qualitative judicial data, this unique study has been conceived above all as a tool for public policy aimed at improving the efficiency and the quality of justice. To have the knowledge in order to be able to understand, analyse and reform, such is the objective of the CEPEJ which has prepared this report, intended for policy makers, legal practitioners, researchers as well as for those who are interested in the functioning of justice in Europe.

The new Edition of the report of the European Commission for the Efciency of Justice (CEPEJ), which evaluates the functioning of the judicial systems in 45 Council of Europe’s member states and an observer state to the CEPEJ, Israël, remains in line with the process carried out since 2002. Relying on a methodology which is already a reference for collecting and processing a wide number of quantitative and qualitative judicial data, this unique study has been conceived above all as a tool for public policy aimed at improving the efciency and the quality of justice. To have the knowledge in order to be able to understand, analyse and reform, such is the objective of the CEPEJ which has prepared this report, intended for policy makers, legal practitioners, researchers as well as for those who are interested in the functioning of justice in Europe.

The new Edition of the report of the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), which evaluates the functioning of the judicial systems in 46 Council of Europe's member states, remains in line with the process carried out since 2002. Relying on a methodology which has already proven itself in order to collect and process a wide number of quantitative and qualitative judicial data, this unique study has been conceived above all as a tool for public policy aimed at improving the efficiency and the quality of justice. To have the knowledge in order to be able to understand, analyse and reform, such is the objective of the CEPEJ which has prepared this report, intended for policy makers, legal practitioners, researchers as well as for those who are interested in the functioning of justice in Europe.

he latest edition of the report by the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ), which evaluates the functioning of judicial systems in 45 Council of Europe's Member states as well as in Israel, an observer state to the CEPEJ, continues the process carried out since 2002, focusing on main indicatorsIn addition, it presents, for the first time, the CEPEJ dynamic statistical database - available on internet. Relying on a methodology which is already a reference for collecting and processing large numbers of quantitative and qualitative judicial data, this unique study has been conceived above all as a tool for public policy aimed at improving the efficiency and quality of justice. The objective of the CEPEJ in preparing this report is to enable policy makers, justice practitioners, researchers as well as those who are interested in the functioning of justice in Europe, to have access to the information needed to be able to understand, analyse and reform.

At first glance, one may think of international investment law as a response to custom (or lack thereof), instead of a field of its application. However, in fact, the opposite is the case. The interpretation and application of customary rules and principles are the bread and butter of international investment law and arbitration. With a diverse range of expert contributors, this collection traces how customary international law is practised in international investment law. It considers how custom should be interpreted and how its rules and principles should be understood and applied by investor-state arbitral tribunals. Raising and addressing vital questions surrounding custom and international law, this collection is a necessary contribution to the scholarship of the theory and history of customary international law and international investment law. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

In recent years, Eurosceptic and nationalist forces have been gaining ground in the European Union. Their rhetoric has changed the political discourse, shaking the ideal of an ever closer union to its core. However, the specific legal changes brought about by this political turn have often remained obscure. How does Euroscepticism manifest itself in the law and policies of the EU Member States? This book seeks to understand to what extent Eurosceptic attitudes translate into legislative, administrative and judicial practices that challenge EU law and governance in the Member States. It reveals the many facets of national resistance that the EU is currently facing, ranging from open defiance to ignorance of EU law. It includes perspectives from the entire Union: from old and new, western and eastern, troublesome and (ostensibly) compliant Member States. Bringing together experts from law and political science, this timely book offers unique insights into the reception – and sometimes rejection – of EU law in the Member States. It is essential reading for anyone interested in the current challenges and the future of the European Union.

Clinical legal education has revolutionized legal education, from its deepest origins in the nineteenth century to its now-global reach.

This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This edited collection provides a comprehensive analysis of the differences and similarities between civil legal aid schemes in the Nordic countries whilst outlining recent legal aid transformations in their respective welfare states. Based on in-depth studies of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland, the authors compare these cases with legal aid in Europe and the US to examine whether a single, unique Nordic model exists. Contextualizing Nordic legal aid in relation to welfare ideology and human rights, Hammerslev and Halvorsen Rønning consider whether flaws in the welfare state exist, and how legal aid affects disadvantaged citizens. Concluding that the five countries all have very different legal aid schemes, the authors explore an important general trend: welfare states increasingly outsourcing legal aid to the market and the third sector through both membership organizations and smaller voluntary organizations. A methodical and compassionate text, this book will be of special interest to scholars and students of the criminal justice, the welfare state, and the legal aid system.

This book explores the regulations, goals and functioning of preparatory proceedings in four Nordic countries and eight former communist countries. The contributions discuss whether, and how the regulation and practice of preparatory proceedings enhance swift civil justice that is both inexpensive and has quality outcomes. A central question is whether the main hearing model of civil justice, in which preclusion of new evidence and claims occur at the end of the preparatory stage, results in greater efficiency, or whether the functioning of civil proceedings largely depends on other factors. It also examines regulation and use of court-connected mediation and judicial settlement efforts. This book offers comparative insights into the functioning of the preparatory civil proceedings in the countries covered. Preparatory proceedings are considered a key tool for achieving efficient civil proceedings. The claims and factual background of the case are clarified at an early stage, and the main hearing is focused. Judicial settlement efforts and court-connected mediation contribute to early resolution of cases, and are important elements of Nordic civil procedure The Nordic countries have used the main hearing model of civil proceedings for some decades, and recent reforms have further enhanced the role of the preparatory stage. Former communist countries are reforming their earlier piecemeal- format civil proceedings by introducing and strengthening written and oral preparation, as well as court-connected mediation.

Law is a lasting social institution, but it must also be open to change. How is law made, and what prompts change? How can society influence the law, and how does the law respond to societal change? The first volume of Shaping Tomorrow's Law examined human rights and European law. In this second volume Mary Arden turns her attention to domestic law, providing a judge's viewpoint on the roles of society, government, and the judiciary in the transformation and reform of the law. The first section of Common Law and Modern Society explains what we mean by judge-made law and shows how the law responds to the needs of a changing society. Adaptation may be in response to shifting values, or in response to constitutional change. This is demonstrated in chapters on assisted reproduction and assisted dying, both modern concerns, and a far older example, that of the law on water, which has been evolving over the centuries in response to society's changing demands. The law also needs to reflect constitutional change, as in the case of Welsh devolution. The second section of the book looks at the necessary simplification of the law and systematic legal reform. These tasks lie at the heart of the work of the Law Commission, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015. Drawing on her own experience as former Chairman of the Law Commission, Mary Arden argues that statute law can be made simpler by codification, and that the success of codification may vary depending on the field of law. The final section looks ahead to tomorrow's judiciary. The accountability of judges is a continuing area of discussion, and this includes ensuring that the reasoning behind their decisions is understood by the relevant people. Mary Arden goes on to argue that the vision for the judiciary today and tomorrow should be one of greater diversity in the widest sense. This will help to ensure not only greater fairness and wider opportunity but also better decision-making. The book concludes with advice and encouragement for future legal professionals.