NCJ Number
180270
Date Published
1999
Length
115 pages
Annotation
The Appellate Court Performance Standards Commission, which was appointed by the National Center for State Courts, defines what is a well-functioning appellate court by presenting criteria that litigants, attorneys, the public, policymakers, and the courts themselves can use in setting goals, identifying problems, and taking steps toward remedying shortcomings.
Abstract
The standards put the position of State appellate courts into the structure of State government as a whole and suggest the special role of State appellate courts in this context. Thus, the mission of appellate State court systems is described neither in the abstract nor in isolation, but instead in terms of the realities of the State governmental process. The central goals of State appellate court systems are divided into four performance areas: (1) protecting the rule of law, (2) promoting the rule of law, (3) preserving the public trust, (4) and using public resources efficiently. As a way of illustrating what good performance means, the Commission has gone further and formulated 15 standards of performance that pertain to the four performance areas. Instead of focusing on court structure, the standards aim at a consensus on what an appellate court should be doing to render just, timely, and consistent decisions. In addition to the standards presented under the four performance areas, pertinent suggestions ("Guideposts") for each performance area are provided for measuring efficiency, timeliness, quality, clarity, and other important components of appellate justice. The 27 "Guideposts" are intended as tools for courts as they develop valid measures of performance that are clear to a court and its many audiences. Appended core data elements and a taxonomy of appellate court organization