The social justice system: Leveraging open data for transparent
judicial activities
In justice systems worldwide, the transparency of data is vital for
trust and fairness towards the citizens. However, when there is a
failure in processing data management effectively, public trust in the
justice system diminishes. Therefore, it is important for courts to
demonstrate openness and clarity in their data usage. What specific
measures are European courts implementing to improve transparency and
ensure that their data handling practices are more accessible and
understandable to the public? 

Open data can be an effective tool to improve transparency in judicial
practices. When data about court rulings, legal processes, and
judicial activities are openly available, it allows for greater
scrutiny. By increasing transparency, European courts help to ensure
accountability, promote trust in the legal system, and empower
individuals to engage with and advocate for justice. Additionally,
having judicial cases available can facilitate analysis of trends and
patterns in judicial outcomes, leading to informed discussions and
potential reforms aimed at enhancing fairness and equity in the legal
process.

Nonetheless, there are still challenges in sharing data for the
judicial system, such as privacy concerns. To tackle these
issues, the recent Data Governance Act
[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/868/oj], in force since
January 11, 2024, sets conditions for reusing public sector data and
making them freely accessible, whilst protecting people's rights.
Another important step that the EU is taking towards
the digitalisation of justice systems
[https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2023/12/08/eu-takes-important-step-towards-digitalisation-of-justice-systems/],
is the promotion of legal data portals such as Eur-Lex
[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html] and the European e-Justice
Portal [https://e-justice.europa.eu/]. These portals offer details
about legal systems and enhance the availability of justice across the
EU and allow for new 'legal tech' tools
[https://www.european-data-governance-act.com/] that help legal
professionals in their work.

Data.europa.eu hosts 239,000 datasets in this area. This enables
citizens to access information about the functioning of the justice
system, to monitor its effectiveness, and to advocate for justice and
fairness in their communities.

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Publication Date/Time
2024-02-26T09:00:00+00:00
Reflecting on transparency for fair legal processes