Vertical accountabilitlity and democratization of Judiciary: the end of restricted suffrage

Abstract

The National Council of Justice holds the Judiciary Branch horizontality accountable, however, other Judiciary institutions still lack vertical accountability that shall promote internal democratization. The transposition of Guilhermo O’Donnell’s concept of vertical accountability is useful to democratize administration in Courts of Justice. The verticality in this perspective can be expressed by the possibility of judges to choose, watch, punish and reward their administrators. A new arrangement, based on efficient mechanisms of accountability, can provide a legitimacy that lacks for the internal public of these institutions, especially with direct election for the presidency of Courts of Justice.