Abstract

Judicial experience is considered essential for the proper functioning of the sentencing system. We investigate how it influences judicial decisions and its role in reducing sentencing disparity. To do so, we analyze all Czech criminal decisions imposed in 2007–2017 using data that includes judge identifiers. This unique feature of our data enables us to measure judges’ experience directly, as the number of criminal cases processed, and to assess patterns in between-judge disparities longitudinally over the course of judges’ careers. We find that experienced judges impose more prison sentences, decide fewer cases via shortened procedure and find fewer defendants guilty. In addition, as judges become more experienced, between-judge disparities reduce across all the outcomes considered. Experience is thus an instrumental factor affecting judicial decisions throughout the criminal process, and one that contributes to greater consistency.

摘要

司法经验被认为对于量刑系统的正常运作至关重要。我们调查它如何影响司法判决及其在减少量刑差异方面的作用。为此，我们使用包括法官标识符在内的数据分析了 2007 年至 2017 年实施的所有捷克刑事判决。我们数据的这一独特特征使我们能够根据处理的刑事案件数量直接衡量法官的经验，并在法官职业生涯中纵向评估法官之间差异的模式。我们发现经验丰富的法官会判处更多徒刑，通过缩短程序裁决的案件更少，并且发现被告有罪的人数也更少。此外，随着法官变得更有经验，法官之间的差异在所有考虑的结果中都会减少。