EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS OF COURT EFFICENCY: THE CASE OF FIRST INSTANCE COURTS IN NORTH MACEDONIA

Abstract

This paper explores the performance and efficiency of first instance courts in North Macedonia by assessing the key performance indicators: clearance rate and disposition time. Our work contributes to a better understanding of court efficiency in North Macedonia by analyzing geographical disparities between first-instance courts. The study encompasses data for 27 first-instance courts organized into four groups based on which appellate area they belong to. The analysis covers the period from 2015 to 2023. The primary goal of our study is to ascertain whether a disparity exists in the efficiency of courts. Our empirical strategy includes the utilization of the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test; thus, we do not aim to explore which courts exhibit superior or inferior performance. The results suggest that both clearance rates and disposition time did not differ substantially from 2015 to 2022 in civil cases. However, in 2023, there were statistically significant differences among the observed indicators. Concerning criminal cases, until 2021, the clearing rates and disposition times did not significantly differ among various court groups; however, findings from 2022 and 2023 revealed statistically significant disparities. We propose conducting further research at a first-instance court level to evaluate individual courts’ efficacy and determine the underlying reasons for divergence of the key performance indicators between the different appellate areas.