NCJ Number
151768
Date Published
1992
Length
45 pages
Annotation
This document reviews and compares outcomes from civil proceedings settlements in three Dutch Magistrate courts in 1983 and in those three plus two more in 1986.
Abstract
The comparison analyzes these proceedings at the beginning, during, and at the end of the proceedings in the courts of The Hague, Rotterdam, and Breda (1983 only) and, in 1986, including Arnhem and Alkmaar. The study compared fines given, type of litigation, and the type of work and duration of the court process. Eighty-four percent of the cases in both years resulted in money fines, but no relationship was found between the amount of the fine and the plaintiff. More cases in 1986 than in 1983 were settled by contradiction than by default or reference, more of the contradiction and default cases in 1986 (54 percent) than in 1983 (37 percent) were settled by plural Chambers, and length of time per case also increased in 1986 over 1983. In 1986, 5,749 cases ended in litigation compared to 4,859 in 1983. The effects of these increases on court staff workload are considered briefly, but without actual comparative information given. 11 references, 18 tables, and 1 appendix