Institutional theory has for decades argued that institutions have an immense impact on everyday life. It is therefore not very farfetched to begin considering how one might shape institutions in a manner that is likely to improve life, and in recent years institutional economists in particular have ventured into offering advice on design. In this book Jesper Wittrup provides a thorough assessment of the accomplishments of institutional design research in the area of judicial administration. Using new and updated data, the evidence for an impact of judicial variables on economic and judicial performance is reconsidered. While well-functioning judicial institutions are widely perceived as critical to economic growth and societal performance, the book makes evident that widely popularized hypotheses about the impact of judicial institutions have either weak or no empirical support. The book then proceeds to discuss the flaws of current institutional design research and strategies for improvement.

Udgivet december 2008