I Index of Judicial Congestion in the Americas: Comparative Study of Judiciaries (2025)

Abstract

This report presents the first CEJA Index of Judicial Congestion in the Americas, offering a comparative assessment of judicial resolution and congestion across 13 Latin American judiciaries between 2018 and 2024. Using a quantitative and longitudinal methodology based on official judicial statistics, the study introduces standardized indicators to evaluate judicial performance, identify regional and national trends, and compare institutional capacity to resolve incoming cases while managing accumulated backlogs. The report also examines the relationship between judicial resolution and congestion and projects future scenarios through 2025 and 2030.

The findings show that judicial congestion remains a structural challenge throughout Latin America despite two decades of judicial reforms. Most judicial systems continue to experience persistent case backlogs, limited improvements in resolution rates, and organizational models that constrain long-term efficiency. The study concludes that sustainable reductions in judicial congestion require structural transformation, including modern judicial management, institutional cultural change, stronger performance monitoring, digital transformation, and evidence-based public policies. It concludes with practical recommendations for judiciaries, ministries of justice, academia, and civil society aimed at improving judicial efficiency, transparency, and timely access to justice.