- Funding Programme
- Year
- 2022
Improving Efficiency and Fairness in the Belgian Judiciary through Better Data and Processes
The European Commission helped the Belgian judiciary (College of Courts and Tribunals) modernise by introducing standardised work processes and reliable statistics. Through new data quality methodologies, workshops with over 20 stakeholders, and tools like a mock-up dashboard, it laid the foundation for fairer workload allocation, reduced backlogs, and faster access to justice — benefiting both citizens and court staff.
Context
Belgium’s judiciary struggles with uneven workloads and long case durations. Courts apply different procedures and lack consistent data, making it hard to allocate staff fairly. This results in bottlenecks in some courts while others have spare capacity. Data quality problems, legacy IT and unclear governance further compound the challenge. The project addressed these issues in line with EU priorities on digital transformation and evidence-based governance, aiming to strengthen statistical systems, harmonise processes and create a sustainable framework for fairer, more efficient justice.
Support delivered
Between November 2022 and December 2024, the project provided hands-on technical support to the College of Courts and Tribunals and its statistical unit (Cell STAT). More than 20 stakeholders took part in 10+ co-creation workshops, ensuring solutions reflected real needs. Together, they developed new methods for collecting and checking judicial statistics, benchmarked good practices from Estonia, Poland and the Netherlands, and tested tools such as a mock-up dashboard for workload monitoring. A clear “to-be” vision and action plan were agreed, supported by training and awareness materials to build a stronger data culture across the judiciary.
Results achieved
The project created standardised methodologies for data collection and quality control, addressing major weaknesses such as inconsistent encoding and incomplete records. It delivered a mock-up dashboard to improve workload monitoring and transparency, and an action plan with clear roles and timelines for reform. Internal procedures were clarified, and governance and training gaps identified. Workshops and training materials fostered a stronger data culture. In the long run, Belgium’s courts will be able to allocate staff based on real workload data, reduce backlogs, and deliver faster, fairer and more predictable justice — with methods that can inspire other EU Member States.
More about the project
You can read the documents related to the project here: