The documentation of the symposium, featuring all presentations, is likely to become essential reading in ministries and the judiciary. Geert Mackenroth, in: DRiZ, June 2002.

The modernization of the state through new governance models as instruments for increasing economic efficiency and effectiveness has also reached the judiciary. The resulting pressure for economization is met by the third power with caution or even resistance. Governance by anything other than the law seems hardly compatible with the guarantee of judicial independence; budgeting and controlling by the judicial administration as part of the executive branch appear to conflict with the separation of powers.

The relative openness of the current modernization process is evident in unresolved legal and factual fundamental questions. Is it possible to define the products of the judiciary required for cost-performance accounting? Can quality assurance in the judiciary (for example, through benchmarking) be realized in light of a predominantly quantitatively oriented financial governance, despite widespread uncertainty about the actual quality characteristics of judicial activity? Do fundamentally changing concepts of the state and altered demands on the judiciary necessitate a redefinition of judicial independence or an increased self-administration of the courts? The authors of the contributions in this volume address these fundamental questions, which are the results of a dialogue between science and practice. Together, they summarize the state of scientific discussion as a starting point for current judicial reforms.