A micro-economic analysis of case disposition time in Belgium

Abstract

In Belgium, little is known about the duration of litigation in first instance courts. Furthermore, no empirical evidence exists on the determinants of case disposition time in Belgian courts. In recent years, law and economics literature has focused increasingly on the duration of litigation in countries around the world. However, focus is usually on the macro-economic determinants of case duration. This paper seeks to (i) examine the disposition time of several case types treated by the first instance courts and (ii) provide empirical evidence on the micro-economic factors affecting the disposition time.