Quaderni di Organizzazione e Trasformazione Digitale della Giustizia

Court Presidents: Managers in the Health Crisis. Role Interpretation Between Regulations and Enabling Technologies

Simone Rossi — 2025-03-12

The essay outlines the reaction of the presidents of Italian courts to the COVID-19 emergency, describing the outcomes of a careful observation of the measures issued in the first months of 2020 by the heads of the “district” offices and the responses to a national survey administered to all court presidents focusing on the extent of change of judicial offices in response to the health emergency. The analysis examines the leadership styles adopted by presidents and their interpretation of the role as heads of office, the organizational measures adopted and the impact of enabling technologies on courts’ responsiveness. The essay is an opportunity to evaluate the characteristics of the judicial system as a loosely coupled system and how the observed logics of action facilitated new processes of learning and innovation. The key role of court presidents is highlighted, as they are able to innovate and guide the organization in close relationship with colleagues and stakeholders. A continuous dialogue between the center and the periphery emerges, and in the concluding remarks, the authors outline possible actions to broaden its scope, strengthen the management skills of court presidents, and foster their drive for innovation, starting precisely from their experience as managers in the health emergency.

The Governance of Judicial Offices: Models, Issues, and Perspectives in the aftermath of the Cartabia Reform

Francesco Dal Canto — 2025-01-30

Speech within the second edition of the Executive Course “Organization and Digital Transformation of Justice” at the University of Milano-Bicocca.

Judicial statistics and governance of the office during the NRRP era: the experiences of the Courts of Busto Arsizio and Monza

Edoardo Colzani — 2024-09-02

The article addresses the topic of statistics in the judicial domain. After examining the operations of governmental bodies involved in such activities, the authors delve into the relevance of statistics from the perspective of governance within judicial offices, highlighting the challenges and opportunities it entails. Finally, they briefly consider the experience gained at the Tribunals of Busto Arsizio and Monza, where an empirical test aimed at drafting guidelines on statistical analysis was conducted. Taking into consideration the previous observations, the authors emphasize the importance of coordinating different local experiences to ensure greater uniformity in data transmitted to the Ministry and coherence in the overall management of the judicial system.

A Digital Legal Profession?

Salvatore Caserta — 2024-12-19

Through the concept of digital capitalism, this article addresses the evolution and change of the legal profession in the digital age. In particular, the article explains how the increasing use of new technologies in the practice of law is I) causing conceptual and practical changes in the work of the jurist II) producing structural alterations in the organizational architecture of law firms. With regard to I), it is argued that the use of digital technologies, particularly generative technologies, has the capacity to alter the role and work of the jurist in many of its aspects, even if at the moment the available technologies are still rudimentary. With regard to II), the article proposes three structural adjustments for law firms to fully exploit the potential of new technologies: a law firm less based on partnership and more on corporate organizational models, a multidisciplinary law firm, and a law firm ready to subcontract some tasks to external entities, particularly those dependent on the use of standardized technologies.

The Court Process Office Assistant and Foreign Judicial Assistants: Comparisons, Reflections, and Perspectives

Eleonora Ferrari — 2024-06-03

This contribution aims to examine the role of the Italian office for the proceedings from a primarily comparative perspective. By analyzing countries identified by the Ministry of Justice as having "positive experiences," such as the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain, this study seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of the Italian judicial assistant role, placing it within the context of the national system. The first part of the paper offers a general overview of the purposes and objectives pursued by each country with the introduction of the judicial assistant role, which has inevitably changed the working methods of judges. Following this, significant attention is given to a detailed analysis of the foreign models. This includes highlighting key features of the judicial assistant role in each country, such as legislative developments, hiring procedures, types of employment contracts, duration of appointments, and the tasks assigned to these roles, while also addressing any issues raised by national doctrines. The comparative analysis of these foreign systems will serve as a valuable tool to draw conclusions about the potential future of the Italian judicial assistant. Particular attention will be paid to two critical aspects: the duration of employment and the hiring procedures.

The Artificial Intelligence Strategy of the Court of Justice of the European Union

Stefania Adriana Bevilacqua — 2025-01-30

The introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed numerous areas of human life, also impacting the judicial system. This paper specifically examines the artificial intelligence strategy adopted by the Court of Justice of the European Union, looking at its objectives, anticipated benefits, and identified risks. The analysis will cover the three areas of AI impact: decision-making function, communication, and the administrative and organizational management of litigation flows. It will then examine the three pillars of implementation: an adequate governance system, a broad network of ethical principles, and a conscious collective intelligence. In conclusion, reflecting on how the CJEU is handling the algorithmic transition toward creating an “intelligent” court, this study seeks to outline the guiding principles for a new model of administrative justice management.

The New Web Portal for Monitoring and Planning the Activities of Judicial Offices: The Civil Management Console

Mariano Sciacca — 2025-01-30

The article presents the analytical work carried out at the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Justice, in collaboration with the Civil Court of Catania, aimed at identifying the main informational needs of civil section presidents. It also describes the experimental launch of a management dashboard for Italian judicial offices, in view of the nationwide deployment of a new ministerial application dedicated to data extraction, statistical analyses, inspections, and management control.