NCJ Number
106308
Journal
Judicature Volume: 71 Issue: 1 Dated: (June-July 1987) Pages: 36-39
Date Published
1987
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Based on a site visit, a U.S. court administrator suggests how U.S. court management procedures could improve court administration in Colombia.
Abstract
Colombian judges handle many administrative matters that should be delegated to support staff, such as notification, statistics, property management, funds administration, and case assignment. Although the court system is an independent branch of government, judicial administrative offices are housed within the Ministry of Justice, and court administration is funded under the budget of the Ministry of Justice. Colombia should establish a legislative commission to reevaluate the structure and placement of the judiciary within the government. Although Colombia's higher courts are operated by highly qualified personnel, the lower courts tend to draw upon less competent attorneys due to the low pay and limited career opportunities in the lower courts. Much of the compilation of court statistics is duplicative and would be improved with the use of a 'case accounting' system. Judges at every level are appointed for relatively short terms (2-4 years) by judges of a higher level. This produces a judiciary that is excessively cautious and deferential to higher judicial authority. This appointment system would enhance judicial independence if court statistics were used as an objective measure of judicial performance. Other recommendations pertain to judicial training, legal sources, computer applications, and court research.