Trust in Irish justice remains high – EU
Just over 70% of people in Ireland rate the independence of courts and judges as either very good or fairly good, according to the 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard.
This was the eighth-highest ranking in the EU, according to the 13th edition of the annual overview, which provides comparative data on the efficiency, quality, and independence of justice systems in the EU.
The figures, which are for 2023, showed that, likewise, almost 80% of companies rate the independence of courts and judges as either very good or fairly good – the third-highest ranking in the EU.
Compared with last year’s survey, the commission said that the public’s perception of independence improved or remained stable in 21 member states, while it decreased in six.
“In three member states, the level of perceived independence remains particularly low,” the report stated – Bulgaria, Poland, and Hungary were the three lowest-ranked countries.
Judges and spending
Ireland ranked lowest in the EU for the number of judges per 100,000 inhabitants, despite a rise compared with 2022.
The figure for the number of lawyers was the eighth-highest in the EU.
The scoreboard shows that Government spending per inhabitant in 2023 rose to become the fourth-highest in the EU.
Legal aid
The rate of legal aid paid to criminal-defence lawyers in Ireland was the fourth-lowest of the 20 countries for which figures were available.
The scoreboard also calculated the availability of legal aid in a specific consumer case involving a claim of €6,000, expressed as a percentage of the Eurostat poverty threshold.
Under this measure, it found that an Irish applicant whose income was below the threshold may not be eligible for legal aid in such a case.
Ireland’s score on the use of digital technology by courts and prosecution services was also relatively low – 20th of the 27 member states.
The commission also put Ireland at 24th for the promotion of methods of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) – Ireland scored 21 points out of a maximum 68.
‘Progress, but challenges remain’
Across the EU, the commission found that digitalisation of justice further improved, while the length of proceedings decreased or remained stable in 13 member states.
The information in the scoreboard will feed into the European Commission's 2025 Rule of Law Report.
In a foreword to the report, Michael McGrath (Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection) said that the report showcased the progress made by a large majority of member states in enhancing the effectiveness of their justice systems.
“However, it also serves as a crucial reminder that challenges remain in some member states, urging them to step up their efforts, particularly in areas where threats to judicial independence jeopardise the union’s shared vision,” he added.