Trayectorias Humanas Trascontinentales (Apr 2023)

Dominance of female judges in the courts of Hungary – a different path to the development of women's equality

  • Adrienn Laczo,
  • Anna Madarasi

DOI
https://doi.org/10.25965/trahs.5176
Journal volume & issue
no. HS 10

Abstract

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The starting point of the study is the experience that female judges are in the majority compared to men in Hungarian courts. In the essay, the authors will examine the reasons of this fact which is a different situation from most parts of the world. First the study will approach the question from a historical point of view i.e. whether the forty years of communism has something to do with the fact that there are a lot more women than men in Hungarian public administration and in the courts. In the following we will examine the ways and possibilities the current legal and social situation has to offer for a woman who wants to become a judge. The proportion of women in the leadership of the courts compared to the one in the courts in total is a subject to a separate examination. To a certain extent of a comparative approach the study will also refer to the differences in the gender composition of judges in other European countries. The challenges a working woman has to face i.e. financial and family-related issues obviously have their effects on the career choice. Therefore, although none of the authors have a degree in sociology, one also cannot avoid the interpretation of some social phenomenon regarding this subject. The methods of the study include both qualitative and quantitative approaches, the processing of the literature available regarding the subject, interviews with judges and analysis of statistics.

Keywords