EFFICIENCY ASSESSMENT OF MUNICIPAL COURTS IN FEDERATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA USING DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS

This paper deals with the assesment of municipal courts efficiency in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H). The aim of the study is to determine difference in efficiency between municipal courts, to identify ineficient courts, and to give recommendations for improvement of the efficiency of ineficient courts. Efficiency analysis was conducted on the data obtained through primary collection directly from 31 FB&H municipal courts, for time period 2014-2016. The method used for assesment of courts efficiency is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The paper gives a brief theoretical overview of the DEA method, a review of the DEA literature related to the efficiency assessment of the courts in the world, and the comparison of the methodologies used in the reviewed studies with the methodology used in this study. The results of the DEA analysis were used to identify the most efficient, as well as ineficient courts, and to identify potentials for improvement of courts efficiency. Suggestions for improvement of the data collection system related to the work of the courts are given in this paper in order to increase the relevance of the analysis. Comparison of the courts efficiency and ranking of the courts are performed according to the courts efficiency in 2014, 2015 and 2016, and an aggregate for three-year period 2014-2016. Based on the estimated efficiency, a projection of increased number of resolved cases has been estimated, provided that all courts are efficient.