Efficiency analysis of Portuguese courts using DEA

The Portuguese judicial system has attracted considerable criticism in recent years and demands for better performance and accountability have gained prominence. By using the Data Envelopment Analysis technique, this research has found evidence that supports some of this criticism. In particular, our analysis suggests that the average efficiency in the sector for the year 2008 was around 67%, and that the sector experienced productivity gains of only 2% in recent years. These results indicate considerable scope for improvement and that the reforms initiated in 2009 are timely and well targeted