让信息可操作: 来自肯尼亚法院的实验证据
Making Information Actionable: Experimental Evidence from Kenyan Courts
Journal of Development Economics · 2020 · [{"name": "Matthieu Chemin", "affiliation": []}, {"name": "Daniel L. Chen", "affiliation": []}, {"name": "Vincenzo Di Maro", "affiliation": []}, {"name": "Paul Kimalu", "affiliation": []}, {"name": "Momanyi Mokaya", "affiliation": []}, {"name": "Manuel Ramos-Maqueda", "affiliation": []}]
中文摘要
我们在肯尼亚各地法院开展了一项随机对照试验，以解决法院延误的一大主要来源——休庭，即在未作出裁决的情况下将案件推迟至以后日期审理。我们与肯尼亚司法机构合作，设计了一份简单、具有成本效益的一页文件，概述每个法院休庭的主要原因。我们在两个实验组中检验这一干预：一组仅将信息提供给法官，另一组则将信息同时提供给法官和法院用户委员会。我们的干预在全国范围内成功避免了约20,000次休庭，而此前每次休庭平均使案件延迟3个月。法院审理进程的加快显著增加了对法律系统的需求和使用，提升了案件立案量以及公民对司法系统的信任。我们的研究结果表明，解决法院延误的根本原因能够显著提升司法系统的感知绩效与实际绩效，促进法律机构获得更多使用与信任。
Abstract
We conduct a randomized controlled trial across Kenyan courts to tackle a major source of court delays: adjournments, i.e., postponements of cases to later dates without reaching a resolution. Partnering with the Kenyan Judiciary, we introduce a simple, cost-effective one-page document that outlines the main reasons for adjournments in each court. We test this intervention in two experimental arms: one where the information is shared with judges, and the other where it is shared with both judges and court user committees. Our intervention successfully prevents approximately 20,000 adjournments nationwide, with each adjournment previously delaying cases by an average of 3 months. The acceleration of court proceedings leads to a notable increase in the demand for and utilization of the legal system, increasing the filing of cases as well as citizen trust in the justice system. Our findings demonstrate that tackling the underlying reasons for court delays can substantially enhance both the perceived and actual performance of judicial systems, fostering greater usage and trust in legal institutions.