Beyond Conventional Wisdom and Anecdotal Evidence: Measuring Efficiency of Brazilian Courts
Abstract: The Brazilian judiciary is well-known for its inefficiency and delay. Yet, such conclusions are often based on anedoctal evidence. Little effort has been made to objectively measure the efficiency in Brazilian courts. Studies that combine quantitative and qualitative analysis are even harder to find. This paper uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to measure the efficiency of State Courts in Brazil. Results show that relative efficiency varies substantially across different Courts. Moreover, the typical usual criticisms which blame judicial inefficiency on a lack of material and human resources are not supported. Instead, efficiency in courts seems to be related to the organizational climate, staff motivation, and management quality.
