Skip to playerSkip to main contentSkip to footer
euronews (in English)
  • 21/10/2024
New figures show that European countries spend only a pittance on their justice systems compared to their investment in the rest of the public sector.
Transcript
00:00How much does Europe spend on justice?
00:08New figures released by the Council of Europe show that across the continent,
00:11countries spend significantly less on their respective justice systems than other public
00:16sectors. Europe only spends about 0.31% of its GDP on justice, amounting to €85.40 per inhabitant
00:24on average. The Council of Europe found that wealthier countries like Switzerland,
00:27Monaco and Luxembourg generally allocate a higher budget to the justice system,
00:32sometimes exceeding €200 per inhabitant. Less wealthy countries such as Montenegro,
00:37Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the other hand, devote a higher percentage of
00:41their GDP to justice. The Council says this reflects a greater effort in relation to
00:45their economic resources. Most of the justice budget around Europe is spent on the courts,
00:50about two-thirds, with a quarter going to public prosecution and 11% on legal aid,
00:56while the amount spent on the former two has gone up. There's been a 16% decrease in legal
01:00aid spending since 2020, according to the Council of Europe. The conditions for obtaining it also
01:05vary. In some countries, specific categories of people, such as victims of domestic or sexual
01:10violence or asylum seekers, automatically benefit. In 2022, Europe had an average of 22 judges,
01:1612 public prosecutors and 180 lawyers per 100,000 inhabitants. However, there are huge disparities
01:23between countries due to differences in judicial systems and things like whether a country employs
01:28lay judges or not. There are more women judges and prosecutors than men across Europe, 57 and
01:3354% respectively. And the Council says that even though the glass ceiling is still very much a
01:39reality, the proportion of women in the highest positions continues to rise. In terms of access
01:44to justice, 44 Council of Europe countries offer free online access to legal texts and case law,
01:50but only three provide free access to the courts. For more, take a look at our website, euronews.com.

Recommended

1:39
Up next
Does U.S. Justice System Favor Rich and Powerful?
Brut America
25/03/2025
1:32
How does the justice system and courts work in England and Wales?
The Star, Sheffield
26/09/2019
1:26
Poland's daily €1m fine over controversial judicial reforms halved by EU's top court
euronews (in English)
21/04/2023
1:00
Is Our Criminal Justice System Doing Enough? Birmingham's Thoughts on Safety and Justice
National World - LocalTV
15/10/2024
6:30
Super-rich: Celebrated or undesirable?
DW (English)
21/12/2023
1:41
Boys and Coach Rescued from Cave in Thailand
i24NEWS (English)
11/07/2018
56:05
Syrian Civil War Anniversary Special
i24NEWS (English)
15/03/2018
10:00
TRENDING | Bruno Mars steals the show at the Grammys | Monday, January 29th 2018
i24NEWS (English)
29/01/2018
0:51
double meaning question to Mathira
Best Right Way
08/07/2016
3:17
pc hotel lahore girl party
Best Right Way
07/04/2016
2:53
Most Beautiful Azan, Adan by Child
Best Right Way
17/03/2016
0:51
DVD-Video---Movie-Music--More-Trailer-(2003-
Stewarttalisa
06/09/2015
11:37
Latest news bulletin | July 1st – Morning
euronews (in English)
today
1:25
EU and Ukraine strike less ambitious but 'realistic' trade deal
euronews (in English)
today
1:30
Lithuania and the Philippines sign security pact to counter 'authoritarian axis' of China and Russia
euronews (in English)
today
1:10
US skips global UN meeting in Spain aimed at raising trillions to combat poverty
euronews (in English)
yesterday
0:47
Spanish PM’s former aide Santos Cerdán detained without bail in corruption probe
euronews (in English)
yesterday
1:59
Fact-checking viral claims that WHO just listed the contraceptive pill as a carcinogen
euronews (in English)
yesterday
1:29
EU Commission working on Mediterranean states' concerns about Anglo-French migration pact
euronews (in English)
yesterday
6:10
Watch: Why Costa Rica's eco-friendly coffee culture is thriving
euronews (in English)
yesterday
11:47
Latest news bulletin | June 30th – Evening
euronews (in English)
yesterday
1:30
Which EU country pays the most and the least for food, drinks and tobacco?
euronews (in English)
yesterday
1:00
Turkey battles wildfires as heatwave grips Europe
euronews (in English)
yesterday
1:05
Israeli settlers set fire at military base in the West Bank amid growing number of attacks
euronews (in English)
yesterday
1:26
Europe sizzles under severe heatwave sparking health alerts and wildfire warnings
euronews (in English)
yesterday