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As the SDGs become reality, countries continue to seek for options to meet the new goals and to keep track of their progress. This includes efforts related to the new Goal 16, “Justice and Peace”. Achieving the SDGs requires implementation in many areas. Today, courts in many countries are undergoing reforms, are interested in hearing about new trends in court operations elsewhere and in tracking court performance. The World Bank’s new publication “Good Practice for Courts—Helpful Elements for Good Court Performance and the World Bank’s Quality of Judicial Process Indicator (QJPI)” addresses this desire. Focusing on the 15 QJPI good practice areas, the publication reflects the findings from country studies and other reports from around the world that show how modern management approaches and advanced technologies provide new opportunities for courts and other justice sector agencies to modernize their operations to better reflect the changing needs of their communities as well as those of national and international markets. Simultaneously, the OECD, in collaboration with the Open Society Foundation, are focusing on collecting and highlighting innovative country approaches to promote access to legal and justice services as determinant of inclusive growth and contributor to the realization of Sustainable Development Goals.

An effective and efficient justice system is essential for sustained economic growth. In a well-functioning, independent, and efficient justice system, decisions are taken within a reasonable time and are predictably and effectively enforced, and individual rights, including property rights, are adequately protected. Among other objectives, the efficiency of the judicial system is important for creating a good business climate, attracting foreign direct investment, securing tax revenues, and supporting economic growth. Research has shown that weak contract enforcement, for example, raises the cost of borrowing and shortens loan maturities, with a resulting negative effect on investment and GDP. Weak court enforcement systems have also been linked to late payments, which can lead to liquidity issues for companies and increase insolvency. Since the publication of the World Bank’s World Development Report 2005, the importance of well-functioning courts to strengthening the investment climate and ultimately to reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity has been brought to the forefront and become internationally recognized. Indicators of commercial court performance, and business community perceptions of and trust in the courts, are a part of the World Bank Group’s (WBG) country-level investment climate assessments and its influential Investment Climate Surveys and Doing Business reports. Court performance has also become an element of European Union (EU) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) accession. Helping countries to improve commercial court operations and ensure improved accessibility and effective delivery of services are important components of the development assistance provided by the WBG. The Commercial Court and Enforcement Assessment Tool has been designed to assist assessment teams and client agencies in this effort.