Judiciaries within Europe: A Comparative Review (Cambridge Studies in International and Comparative Law, Series Number 47)

An in-depth study, originally published in 2006, of the careers and roles of judges in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and England, this book is based on original language materials and investigations of judges and judicial institutions in each country. On the basis of these detailed case studies, the book suggests factors that shape the character of the judiciary in different countries, focusing on issues such as women's careers and the relationship between judicial careers and politics. Bell's investigations offer lessons on issues which the English judiciary was having to confront in the period of reform at the time of this book's publication. Cover 1 Half-title 3 Series-title 5 Title 7 Copyright 8 Contents 9 Preface 11 Abbreviations 13 1 Introduction 17 The centrality of the institutional perspective 18 Perspectives on judicial activity 18 Personal 19 Institutional 20 External 20 Why adopt an institutional perspective? 22 The nature of law: law as institutional fact 22 Operating as a legal actor 23 How law relates to the wider world 25 Objections 26 The core method 28 Inside the judicial community 29 Career 29 Professionalism 29 Recruitment 31 Appointment processes 33 Who is appointed? 34 The organisation of the judiciary 36 Judicial corps 36 Management and governance 37 Values: independence 42 Freedom from interference 43 Independence to serve justice 45 Roles 45 Judicial tasks: routine 45 Creativity 48 Extrajudicial tasks 49 Judges and the legal community 50 Judges and the legal professions 50 Judges and legal academics 52 Judges and the wider community 53 Judges and politics 54 Social status 55 Conclusion 56 2 The French judiciary 60 Organisational structures 60 The court systems 61 Civil and criminal courts 61 Appeals 62 Administrative courts 63 The Conseil constitutionnel 65 Management of the judiciary and courts 66 Ordinary judges 66 Administrative judges 67 Career structure 68 Ordinary judges 68 Recruitment and selection 68 Training and career 70 Administrative judges 74 Recruitment and selection 75 Training and career 77 Judicial corporate life 78 Ordinary judges 78 Values: conceptions of judicial independence 80 Freedom from political interference 81 Freedom to do justice 84 Judicial roles 85 Judicial creativity 85 Judicial style and reasoning 89 Extrajudicial roles 92 Ordinary judges 92 Administrative judges 93 Professional judges and the legal community 95 Judges and advocates 95 Judges and academics 98 Lay judges 105 Commercial judges 105 Recruitment and selection 106 Corporate life 107 Conseillers des prud ’hommes 108 Recruitment 108 Training 109 Collective identity 109 Other lay judges 109 Judges and the wider community 110 Constitutional judges 110 Constitutional adjudication 113 The public image of judges 116 Conclusion: what shapes French judicial cultures? 118 Ordinary judges 118 Administrative judges 120 A French judicial culture? 121 3 The German judiciary 124 Organisational setting and the judicial career 125 One professional judiciary or many? 125 Court structures 126 Management of the judiciary and of the courts 128 The judicial career 129 Initial education and recruitment 129 Diversity in the judiciary 134 Promotion and appraisal 136 Continuing education and appraisal 139 Discipline 140 Conclusion 141 Judicial corporate life 142 History and values 143 The judicial role and past tyrannies 143 Legal positivism and the Weimar and Nazi periods 143 East German law 145 Judicial independence 148 The judicial role 150 Functions of judges in the legal process 150 Judicial creativity 152 Judicial style 152 Judicial creativity and the Grundgesetz 153 Judicial lawmaking as a source of law 156 Conceptions of the judicial role 159 Extrajudicial roles 164 Professional judges and the legal community 164 Judges and Rechtsanwälte 164 Judges and professors 165 Lay judges 167 Community judges: Schöffen 167 Expert and representative judges 170 Training and discipline 171 Functioning of lay judges 172 Professional judges and the wider community 174 Law and politics:constitutional adjudication 174 Court membership 175 Jurisdiction and procedure 176 Federal relations 178 Political parties 179 Fundamental rights 181 The scope of judicial action 183 The public image of judges 184 Conclusion: what shapes German judicial culture? 185 4 The Spanish judiciary 190 Organisational setting and the judicial career 192 Court structures 192 Governance of judiciary and courts:the Consejo General del 194 Poder Judicial 194 Composition 195 Governance 196 Promotions 198 Supervision 200 Inspection and complaints 200 Judicial discipline 202 Consultation 203 Judges as managers 203 Judicial self-government? 204 Judicial career of ordinary judges 204 Selection 205 Training and continuing education 208 Career 209 Judicial corporate life 211 History and values 213 Coming to terms with dictatorship 213 Judicial independence 215 The judicial role 216 Judicial creativity 216 Precedent 216 Statutes 219 Extrajudicial roles 219 Professional judges and the legal community 220 Judges and abogados 220 Judges and professors 221 Lay judges 223 Juez de paz 223 Jurado 227 Professional judges and the wider community 230 Judges and politics: constitutional adjudication 230 Separation of powers 232 Protecting fundamental freedoms: the amparo 237 Composition of the court 240 The public image of judges 241 The judicial role in society 241 Public reputation 242 Judges and media 244 Political corruption 245 Rising judicial power? 247 Conclusion: what shapes Spanish judicial culture? 247 5 The Swedish judiciary 250 Internal organisational structures and character 251 Geographical factors as a context 251 Court structures 252 The workload and staf .ng of courts 252 The growth of administrative justice 253 Dispute resolution 255 Governance of the judiciary and of the courts 256 Domstolsverket 256 Judges as managers 258 Ministry of Justice 260 Judicial career 260 Selection 260 The position of women 262 Promotion 264 Training and continuing education 265 Socialisation 267 Judicial corporate life 268 History and values 269 History of the judiciary 269 Dominant ideas 274 Scandinavian realism 274 Social democracy 275 Consensus-building 277 Contemporary challenges 278 Judicial independence 279 Judicial roles 281 Judicial creativity 281 Judicial involvement in lawmaking 286 Remissen 286 Lagrådet 286 Extrajudicial activities 289 Judges and administrators 289 Judges as committee secretaries 291 Other administrative roles 292 External commitments 293 Professional judges and the legal community 293 Justitieombudsman 293 Åklagarna 295 Advokaterna 296 Academic lawyers 297 Lay judges 298 History 298 Function 299 Membership and training 302 Operation 303 Judges and the wider community 305 Judges and politics: constitutional adjudication 305 Public image of justice 308 Public opinion 308 Judges and the media 309 Conclusion: what shapes Swedish judicial culture? 310 6 The English judiciary in comparative perspective 314 Introduction:can continental Europe offer any useful lessons? 314 The judicial career 315 The House of Lords/Supreme Court 318 The High Court and Court of Appeal 320 The Circuit Bench 324 Reforms of 2005 326 Part-time judges 327 The internal judicial culture 328 Recruitment and selection 328 Diversity 330 Judicial training 335 Judicial representation 336 Judicial independence 338 Judges and the legal community 342 Judges and practitioners 342 Judges and academics 342 Judges and the wider community 345 Lay and professional judges 345 Judges and politics 350 Judicial lawmaking 350 Judicial review 353 Sentencing discretion 356 Judges as public figures 357 The public standing of the judiciary 358 Conclusion 361 7 Factors shaping the character of the judiciary 366 History 367 Task 372 Organisational structure 375 Judicial corps 376 Education, training and socialisation 379 Hierarchy and leadership 381 Social diversity 384 Structure of contacts and influence 385 Collective action 387 Values 388 Lawmaking creativity 388 Independence 390 Public office 393 Conjunctural events 394 External expectations 396 Conclusion 398 Index 400 Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Series-title......Page 5 Title......Page 7 Copyright......Page 8 Contents......Page 9 Preface......Page 11 Abbreviations......Page 13 1 Introduction......Page 17 Perspectives on judicial activity......Page 18 Personal......Page 19 External......Page 20 The nature of law: law as institutional fact......Page 22 Operating as a legal actor......Page 23 How law relates to the wider world......Page 25 Objections......Page 26 The core method......Page 28 Professionalism......Page 29 Recruitment......Page 31 Appointment processes......Page 33 Who is appointed?......Page 34 Judicial corps......Page 36 Management and governance......Page 37 Values: independence......Page 42 Freedom from interference......Page 43 Judicial tasks: routine......Page 45 Creativity......Page 48 Extrajudicial tasks......Page 49 Judges and the legal professions......Page 50 Judges and legal academics......Page 52 Judges and the wider community......Page 53 Judges and politics......Page 54 Social status......Page 55 Conclusion......Page 56 Organisational structures......Page 60 Civil and criminal courts......Page 61 Appeals......Page 62 Administrative courts......Page 63 The Conseil constitutionnel......Page 65 Ordinary judges......Page 66 Administrative judges......Page 67 Recruitment and selection......Page 68 Training and career......Page 70 Administrative judges......Page 74 Recruitment and selection......Page 75 Training and career......Page 77 Ordinary judges......Page 78 Values: conceptions of judicial independence......Page 80 Freedom from political interference......Page 81 Freedom to do justice......Page 84 Judicial creativity......Page 85 Judicial style and reasoning......Page 89 Ordinary judges......Page 92 Administrative judges......Page 93 Judges and advocates......Page 95 Judges and academics......Page 98 Commercial judges......Page 105 Recruitment and selection......Page 106 Corporate life......Page 107 Recruitment......Page 108 Other lay judges......Page 109 Constitutional judges......Page 110 Constitutional adjudication......Page 113 The public image of judges......Page 116 Ordinary judges......Page 118 Administrative judges......Page 120 A French judicial culture?......Page 121 3 The German judiciary......Page 124 One professional judiciary or many?......Page 125 Court structures......Page 126 Management of the judiciary and of the courts......Page 128 Initial education and recruitment......Page 129 Diversity in the judiciary......Page 134 Promotion and appraisal......Page 136 Continuing education and appraisal......Page 139 Discipline......Page 140 Conclusion......Page 141 Judicial corporate life......Page 142 Legal positivism and the Weimar and Nazi periods......Page 143 East German law......Page 145 Judicial independence......Page 148 Functions of judges in the legal process......Page 150 Judicial style......Page 152 Judicial creativity and the Grundgesetz......Page 153 Judicial lawmaking as a source of law......Page 156 Conceptions of the judicial role......Page 159 Judges and Rechtsanwälte......Page 164 Judges and professors......Page 165 Community judges: Schöffen......Page 167 Expert and representative judges......Page 170 Training and discipline......Page 171 Functioning of lay judges......Page 172 Law and politics:constitutional adjudication......Page 174 Court membership......Page 175 Jurisdiction and procedure......Page 176 Federal relations......Page 178 Political parties......Page 179 Fundamental rights......Page 181 The scope of judicial action......Page 183 The public image of judges......Page 184 Conclusion: what shapes German judicial culture?......Page 185 4 The Spanish judiciary......Page 190 Court structures......Page 192 Poder Judicial......Page 194 Composition......Page 195 Governance......Page 196 Promotions......Page 198 Inspection and complaints......Page 200 Judicial discipline......Page 202 Judges as managers......Page 203 Judicial career of ordinary judges......Page 204 Selection......Page 205 Training and continuing education......Page 208 Career......Page 209 Judicial corporate life......Page 211 Coming to terms with dictatorship......Page 213 Judicial independence......Page 215 Precedent......Page 216 Extrajudicial roles......Page 219 Judges and abogados......Page 220 Judges and professors......Page 221 Juez de paz......Page 223 Jurado......Page 227 Judges and politics: constitutional adjudication......Page 230 Separation of powers......Page 232 Protecting fundamental freedoms: the amparo......Page 237 Composition of the court......Page 240 The judicial role in society......Page 241 Public reputation......Page 242 Judges and media......Page 244 Political corruption......Page 245 Conclusion: what shapes Spanish judicial culture?......Page 247 5 The Swedish judiciary......Page 250 Geographical factors as a context......Page 251 The workload and staf .ng of courts......Page 252 The growth of administrative justice......Page 253 Dispute resolution......Page 255 Domstolsverket......Page 256 Judges as managers......Page 258 Selection......Page 260 The position of women......Page 262 Promotion......Page 264 Training and continuing education......Page 265 Socialisation......Page 267 Judicial corporate life......Page 268 History of the judiciary......Page 269 Scandinavian realism......Page 274 Social democracy......Page 275 Consensus-building......Page 277 Contemporary challenges......Page 278 Judicial independence......Page 279 Judicial creativity......Page 281 Lagrådet......Page 286 Judges and administrators......Page 289 Judges as committee secretaries......Page 291 Other administrative roles......Page 292 Justitieombudsman......Page 293 Åklagarna......Page 295 Advokaterna......Page 296 Academic lawyers......Page 297 History......Page 298 Function......Page 299 Membership and training......Page 302 Operation......Page 303 Judges and politics: constitutional adjudication......Page 305 Public opinion......Page 308 Judges and the media......Page 309 Conclusion: what shapes Swedish judicial culture?......Page 310 Introduction:can continental Europe offer any useful lessons?......Page 314 The judicial career......Page 315 The House of Lords/Supreme Court......Page 318 The High Court and Court of Appeal......Page 320 The Circuit Bench......Page 324 Reforms of 2005......Page 326 Part-time judges......Page 327 Recruitment and selection......Page 328 Diversity......Page 330 Judicial training......Page 335 Judicial representation......Page 336 Judicial independence......Page 338 Judges and academics......Page 342 Lay and professional judges......Page 345 Judicial lawmaking......Page 350 Judicial review......Page 353 Sentencing discretion......Page 356 Judges as public figures......Page 357 The public standing of the judiciary......Page 358 Conclusion......Page 361 7 Factors shaping the character of the judiciary......Page 366 History......Page 367 Task......Page 372 Organisational structure......Page 375 Judicial corps......Page 376 Education, training and socialisation......Page 379 Hierarchy and leadership......Page 381 Social diversity......Page 384 Structure of contacts and influence......Page 385 Collective action......Page 387 Lawmaking creativity......Page 388 Independence......Page 390 Public office......Page 393 Conjunctural events......Page 394 External expectations......Page 396 Conclusion......Page 398 Index......Page 400 An in-depth study of the careers and roles of judges in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and England, this book is based on original language materials and investigations of judges and judicial institutions in each country. On the basis of these detailed case studies, the book suggests factors that shape the character of the judiciary in different countries, focusing on issues such as women's careers and the relationship between judicial careers and politics. Bell's investigations offer lessons on issues which the English judiciary is having to confront in its current period of reform. An in-depth study of the careers and roles of judges in France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and England. Based on case studies, the book suggests factors that shape the character of the judiciary in different countries. Bell's investigations offer lessons on issues which the English judiciary is currently having to confront