Public trust in the independence of Austria's judiciary remains strong as the 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard reaffirms the country's high standing in terms of judicial efficiency, quality, and independence.

According to the latest data from the European Commission, approximately 90% of Austrians hold a “very good” or “fairly good” perception of their courts and judges.

This places Austria second among EU member states, just behind Finland. In contrast, countries like Poland, Croatia, and Bulgaria report significantly lower levels of public confidence, ranging between 20 and 30%, Vindobona reports.

During the report presentation, Justice Minister Anna Sporrer expressed her satisfaction with the findings, stating that the Austrian judiciary not only functions well but “it is also extremely effective and serves the people of our country daily. I am very pleased about the continued high level of trust the population has in our judiciary.”

“The fact that Austria is among the top performers in the EU Justice Scoreboard year after year, particularly concerning trust in courts and judicial authorities, is the direct result of the tremendous commitment of all judicial staff. I would like to express my sincere thanks for this. Together, we will continue to work to ensure that our judiciary remains a flagship for efficiency, quality, and independence,” Sporrer added.

Furthermore, a standout outcome of the EU Justice Scoreboard is Austria’s rise from third to second place in public perception of judicial independence. This advancement means Austria has surpassed Denmark and solidified its status as one of the EU countries with the highest levels of public trust in its judicial system.

The report also highlights that Austria, ranked fifth, remains one of the top performers among EU member states in terms of the duration of civil proceedings. This is particularly noteworthy given that Austria has the second highest number of civil cases filed in the EU, underscoring the outstanding efficiency of its courts.

Published annually by the European Commission for the past 12 years, the EU Justice Scoreboard has become an essential resource for comparing justice systems across Europe.

It fosters cooperation among EU countries in upholding the rule of law and justice. By offering objective, reliable, and comparable data, the report helps pinpoint areas needing improvement regarding the independence, efficiency, and quality of justice systems throughout the EU.