Azernews.Az

The number of judges in Azerbaijan`s courts has increased 50% in recent years, with 157 of them taking their posts in the past year alone, according to Justice Minister Fikrat Mammadov.
He told reporters that in earlier years, Azerbaijan had the least number of judges per capita in Europe at just four per 100,000 people.
"This was causing low quality in the consideration of cases, excessive workload and red tape. But the problem with the number [lack of] judges was solved with the latest appointments."
Mammadov said enough judges have been appointed to fill every seat in the country`s first instance courts. In some courts, the number of judges has been doubled and a number of new courts were established as a result of reforms in the judiciary system.
The minister went on to say that the criteria for the selection of judges were completely democratic and transparent. As a result of applying new regulations, only 150 highly skilled candidates, out of 1,700 applicants, were able to reach the final stage in the selection process.
"Increasing the number of judges and their training has positively affected the quality of due process in the court of law," Mammadov said.
He noted that the number of lawyers in the country continues to rise, as well. Previously, there were only 370 lawyers in Azerbaijan, however, their number has doubled due to judiciary reforms.