Introduction
Switzerland is not included in the EU Justice Scoreboard. Yet many of the challenges highlighted by the European Commission will feel familiar to anyone involved in Swiss justice modernisation initiatives.
Across Europe, courts are working to reduce delays, improve accessibility, strengthen resilience and expand digital services. In Switzerland, the Justitia 4.0 programme is pursuing many of the same objectives through the creation of a fully digital justice ecosystem.
The 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard provides valuable evidence for why these efforts matter.
Its findings suggest that digital justice is no longer simply a technology initiative. It is becoming a strategic requirement for delivering efficient, accessible and resilient justice services.
Europe Is Treating Digitalisation as a Strategic Priority
One of the strongest messages in the report is the growing importance of digital justice. The European Commission states:
“The digitalisation of justice is key to increasing the efficiency, quality and resilience of justice systems, while facilitating access to justice.”
This is significant because it frames digitalisation as a driver of justice outcomes rather than an IT project.
The report highlights the increasing use of:
- Electronic filing
- Digital communication with courts
- Secure information exchange
- Electronic payments
- Videoconferencing
across European justice systems.
These are precisely the types of capabilities being pursued through Switzerland’s digital justice transformation agenda.
The Performance Gap Between Justice Systems Remains Significant
One of the most revealing aspects of the Scoreboard is the variation in court performance across Europe. The report’s charts on disposition times show substantial differences between jurisdictions. Depending on the country and case type, the estimated time required to resolve proceedings can vary from fewer than 100 days to several hundred days.
The lesson is not that digitalisation automatically creates efficiency. Rather, it demonstrates the importance of giving justice organisations the tools they need to manage cases effectively, identify bottlenecks and monitor performance.
For Switzerland, where multiple cantonal systems and procedures coexist, consistent digital capabilities and information sharing become increasingly important.
Digital Resilience Matters More Than Ever
The pandemic fundamentally changed how justice organisations think about resilience. The Scoreboard notes that:
“2022 saw a return to the efficiency levels of 2019.”
It further explains that improvements in many Member States reflect:
“the effect of the measures taken by Member States to make their systems more resilient to future disruptions.”
This finding is particularly relevant to Switzerland’s long-term digitalisation strategy. Digital case files, secure electronic communication and online service delivery do more than improve convenience. They help ensure continuity of operations when circumstances change.
Data Is Becoming a Strategic Asset
The EU Justice Scoreboard itself is evidence of a broader shift toward data-driven justice. The 2026 edition includes ten years of comparative performance data covering the period from 2014 to 2024.
Across Europe, justice leaders increasingly rely on metrics such as:
- Clearance rates
- Case duration
- Pending caseloads
- Digital maturity
- Accessibility indicators
to evaluate performance and prioritise reform.
This trend aligns closely with the objectives of modern digital justice platforms, which provide operational visibility and management information in real time.
High-Performing Courts Keep Pace With Demand
One of the most encouraging findings in the report concerns clearance rates. The European Commission notes that:
“In 2024, 17 Member States … reported a high clearance rate (more than 97%).”
Clearance rates measure whether courts are resolving cases as quickly as new cases arrive.
- A rate above 100% indicates that backlogs are shrinking.
- A rate below 100% suggests that pending caseloads may continue to grow.
For Swiss justice organisations, this highlights the importance of effective workload management, resource allocation and process visibility. Without accurate data and efficient workflows, maintaining high clearance rates becomes increasingly difficult.
Justice Systems Influence Economic Confidence
The significance of justice reform extends beyond court administration. According to the Commission:
“Well-functioning and fully independent justice systems can have a positive impact on investment and are key for investment protection.”
The report further states that effective justice systems are associated with:
“greater productivity and competitiveness.”
Research cited by the Commission found a strong correlation between shorter court proceedings and company growth rates. It also found that access to justice has “a sizable positive effect on economic growth.” For Switzerland, whose economy depends heavily on international business confidence, legal certainty and institutional trust, these findings are particularly relevant.
What This Means for Justitia 4.0
The EU Justice Scoreboard does not assess Switzerland. Nevertheless, it provides a useful benchmark for understanding the direction of travel across Europe.
The report’s key themes – digitalisation, resilience, accessibility, performance measurement and efficiency – closely mirror the objectives of Justitia 4.0.
Taken together, they suggest that Switzerland’s digital justice transformation is not simply keeping pace with international developments.
It is aligned with many of the same priorities that are shaping justice reform across Europe.
Building the Digital Foundations of Justice
The findings of the EU Justice Scoreboard reinforce a simple conclusion.
Digital justice is no longer a future aspiration.
It is becoming a prerequisite for delivering efficient, accessible and resilient justice services. As Switzerland continues its Justitia 4.0 journey, the focus will increasingly shift from digitising documents to creating connected, data-driven and user-centred justice processes.
The organisations that succeed will be those that combine strong governance, effective processes and modern case management technology to support the next generation of justice services.
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