Objective
This project examines the rise of “incognito justice”—the anonymization of judicial decisions. Open adjudication underpins democratic legitimacy, yet EU member states diverge on whether to disclose litigants’ names: some publish them, others mandate strict anonymization, and many adopt hybrid approaches. Conventional wisdom typically frames this choice as a trade-off between privacy and open justice. We argue, however, that this framing understates anonymization’s broader effects. Incognito justice shapes the behavior and perceptions of judges, the media, citizens, and the legal community, with consequences for consistency, accountability, and public trust.
The proposed interdisciplinary research has three strands. First, a comparative map will document legal bases, scope, practices, and implementation across EU courts, and will build a dataset and typology to support monitoring and policy-making.
Second, we test effects on judging along three dimensions: judicial citations, reasoning, and outcomes. Common anonymization practices may hinder retrieval of precedents and alter citation networks; we evaluate reforms using event-study and difference-in-differences designs. Removing names may also affect rhetorical style; computational text analysis will track shifts in tone, sources, and reasoning. Anonymity may influence decisions: laboratory experiments will test whether it shields judges from external pressure or, by reducing scrutiny, permits bias to operate.
Third, the study will examine public perception and professional behavior, focusing on three groups: the media, citizens, and the legal profession. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we will assess the effects of anonymization on media coverage, public trust, and lawyers’ behavior.
By focusing on a major procedural development that has not yet been examined comprehensively, this project provides an integrated and novel account of anonymization’s impact on judicial independence and the rule of law.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.2 - Culture, creativity and inclusive society
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.2.2.1 - Democracy and Governance
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL2-2025-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
91904 JERUSALEM
Israel
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.