Justice Leader's Dialogue

The opening session will establish the overall framing for the Dialogue by positioning justice as a core public service and an enabling condition for economic activity, business confidence, policy implementation and social stability. It will focus on the strategic contribution of justice to legal certainty, compliance and the capacity of governments to act effectively. It will also set out why justice reform should be understood not only as a sectoral issue, but as part of broader efforts to strengthen public sector capability, reduce friction in the interaction between citizens, businesses and the state, and improve the quality of government delivery.

This session will focus more specifically on how justice systems affect the operating environment for businesses, particularly SMEs. It will examine how legal complexity, excessive procedural requirements, documentary burdens, delays and fragmented pathways can create forms of “beige tape” that raise costs, discourage compliance and reduce business confidence. Discussions will explore reforms to simplify procedures, improve contract enforcement, support early and proportionate resolution, and reduce unnecessary burdens on businesses interacting with justice institutions. The session will consider how more streamlined justice services can support entrepreneurship, investment, productivity and growth.

This session will explore how justice can be organised as a more coherent, integrated and user-oriented public service. It will examine the costs of fragmentation across institutions, procedures and entry points, and consider how these can be addressed through better service design and stronger coordination. Discussions will focus on practical approaches such as no-wrong-door models, triage and referral, integrated pathways across courts and non-court services, and more end-to-end approaches to resolving problems. Particular attention will be given to how these reforms can simplify access, reduce duplication and administrative burden, and improve outcomes for people and businesses, including SMEs.

This session will consider how justice systems can move beyond a narrow focus on activity and case-processing metrics towards frameworks that measure outcomes, service quality and productivity. Drawing on the OECD Measurement Framework for People-Centred Justice systems, it will explore what should be measured to assess whether justice systems are delivering timely, fair, accessible and effective resolution, and how such measurement can support stronger management and reform. Particular attention will be given to cost, timeliness, user experience, legal certainty, resolution effectiveness and institutional performance, as well as the broader implications of justice system performance for business confidence, SME activity and economic productivity. The session will also examine how data can be used more effectively to support accountability, resource allocation and continuous improvement.

This session will examine how digitalisation and AI can support the modernisation of justice services and strengthen system capability. Discussions will focus on practical applications, including case management, online dispute resolution, workflow redesign, triage, analytics and automation, and how these can help reduce delays, lower administrative burden and improve accessibility and service quality. The session will also consider how justice institutions can respond effectively as people and businesses increasingly use AI to inform and shape their communications, including the potential for more complex, voluminous or inaccurate submissions to create new demands on services. Alongside these opportunities, participants will reflect on the governance conditions needed to ensure that innovation is deployed responsibly, with appropriate safeguards for transparency, accountability, reliability and risk management.

The closing session will draw together the main messages emerging from the Dialogue and focus attention on priorities for action. Participants will be invited to reflect on the most significant reform opportunities in their systems and on the practical steps needed to strengthen justice as a high-quality public service. The discussion will aim to identify shared priorities for simplifying processes, reducing friction and beige tape, improving service performance, and reinforcing the contribution of justice to economic activity, social stability and effective government delivery. It will also provide strategic direction for the OECD’s future work on justice as a public service.