The “Judicial Performance, Caseload, and Expenditure Review (2008–2014)” analyzes the efficiency, effectiveness, and resourcing of Bulgaria’s judiciary. It evaluates the trends in judicial expenditures, caseload management, and budget processes, providing actionable recommendations to enhance performance, transparency, and equity in resource distribution.
Key Findings:
- Judicial Performance:
- Bulgaria’s clearance rate for cases has been consistently close to 100%, and the disposition time of cases is significantly below the Council of Europe (CoE) average, reflecting strong judicial efficiency.
- However, disparities in caseloads across courts remain, with some courts handling low volumes of cases while others face overwhelming workloads.
- Judicial Staffing and Caseload:
- Bulgaria has 2,225 approved judge positions, but only 1,811 were filled during the assessment period.
- Significant imbalances exist in caseload distribution: some courts, such as district courts, are underutilized, while courts in Sofia face excessive workloads.
- Budget and Expenditure Trends:
- Judicial expenditure as a percentage of GDP is higher than the CoE average, yet the judiciary remains underfunded relative to its needs.
- 98% of the budget is allocated to salaries and operating costs, leaving little for capital investments, infrastructure upgrades, or capacity development.
- Recommendations:
- Workload Redistribution: Redeploy judges to high-demand courts and consolidate underutilized courts, such as military courts.
- Resource Efficiency: Adopt voluntary retirement schemes and modernize budget allocation processes for improved fiscal accountability.
- Medium-Term Funding Strategy: Create a predictable funding model tied to GDP to ensure sustainability and reform implementation.
Note on Preparation
This report was prepared by a World Bank team led by Mr. Arun Arya, Senior Public Sector Specialist, and included Mr. Joseph Bobek and Ms. Svetozara Petkova, Consultants, which conducted a field mission in Sofia, Bulgaria, in June 2015. The report reflects insights gathered through extensive engagement with Bulgarian judicial authorities and analysis of data trends over the assessment period.