Title: Better justice towards sustainability: the case of an accountable judicial institution in Italy

Authors: Paolo Ricci; Pietro Pavone

Addresses: Department of Political Science, University of Naples Federico II, Via Leopoldo Rodinò, 22, 80133 Napoli, Italy ' Department of Law, Economics, Management and Quantitative Methods, University of Sannio, Via delle Puglie, 82, 82100 Benevento, Italy

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to examine accountability processes in the Italian judicial system, given the recent international stimuli for a better justice, in order to build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions. A qualitative method has been used. The case-study of a prosecution office has been considered, in order to examine the accountability process through the conceptual lens of public leadership. Such analysis focuses on the interaction between different institutional areas of the judicial sector and is carried out through the breakdown of the unitary process into its three logical moments: information, discussion and consequences. The research shows the role of leadership in judicial accountability and, in particular, its decisive function in building an adequate environment for the effective development of responsibility mechanisms. The study highlights some properties of leadership that facilitate the accountability of judicial offices, giving them a programmatic and shared framework. It adds evidence to the current debate about the opportunities of the sustainability agenda in the justice sector, which has so far received little attention from scholars. It also highlights the conditions for deepening the relationship between leadership and public value in a complex context, characterised by multiple relationships and levels of action.

Keywords: sustainable development; judicial system; accountability; accountability environment; leadership; Italy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPSPM.2024.138767

International Journal of Public Sector Performance Management, 2024 Vol.13 No.4, pp.529 - 549

Received: 16 Jul 2020
Accepted: 31 Oct 2020
Published online: 31 May 2024 *

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