World justice day: The role of open data in strengthening justice
systems
Each year on 17 July, the Day of International Criminal Justice
highlights the importance of accountability and the global fight
against genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. This date
marks the adoption of the Rome Statute in 1998
[https://www.bing.com/ck/a?!&&p=123bea2c72ffad2432d22d4c92e8681ca933399203824fe4dfd482c19ffbf4f2JmltdHM9MTc4MzI5NjAwMA&ptn=3&ver=2&hsh=4&fclid=104a5717-23b3-6a2c-3933-428a225e6b5b&psq=rome+statute+1998&u=a1aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaWNjLWNwaS5pbnQvc2l0ZXMvZGVmYXVsdC9maWxlcy8yMDI0LTA1L1JvbWUtU3RhdHV0ZS1lbmcucGRm],
the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court. This
observance brings together governments, civil society, and citizens to
promote fair legal systems and uphold the rule of law worldwide. 

Across the European Union, initiatives such as the EU Justice
Scoreboard
[https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/upholding-rule-law/eu-justice-scoreboard_en]
provide comparable data on the efficiency, quality, and independence
of national justice systems. By offering objective indicators, the
Scoreboard helps Member States improve their legal frameworks and
ensures that citizens and businesses can exercise their rights
effectively. Open access to such information also supports the EU’s
broader commitment to the rule of law, which underpins economic
stability, trust and cooperation across borders.  

Making judicial data accessible through platforms like the European
Data Portal [https://data.europa.eu/en] and EUR-LEX
[https://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html?lang=en] allows citizens,
researchers, and policymakers to analyse court performance, track
legal trends, and identify potential inequalities, transparent data on
court rulings, legal processes, and governance strengthens public
trust and enables informed debate about reforms. Initiatives such as
the European Legal Data Space
[https://data.europa.eu/en/news-events/news/gain-access-legal-knowledge-meet-european-legal-data-space]
further improve access to legislation and case law, supporting
innovation and collaboration across justice sector.  

On this year’s World Justice Day, explore the wealth of
justice-related datasets available on the European Data Portal and
discover how open data contributes to fairer and more transparent
legal systems. Whether you are a policymaker, researcher, or engaged
citizen, using open data can help drive accountability and strengthen
the rule of law across Europe and beyond. 

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Publication Date/Time
2026-07-17T08:00:00+00:00
How data transparency supports accountability, trust, and equal access
to justice