When Justice Lags: Civic Engagement, Deprivation, and Institutional Performance

The socio-economic and institutional factors explaining the length of civil proceedings (LCP) over the 2004-2022 time frame are analyzed here in 20 Italian regions. Adopting panel data analysis approaches, such as fixed-effects, random-effects, and two-stage least squares (2SLS) instrumental variables, the analysis investigates the effects of income inequality, material poverty, labor market disengagement, economic family distress, civic and political participation, and non-profit density on trial length. Results identify a significant positive association between net income inequality, intensity of work poverty, deterioration of household economic conditions, and civic and political participation and an increased length of proceedings. The findings suggest that structural socio-economic vulnerability and increased legal demand in civically active regions are factors prolonging proceedings. In contrast, non-profit density is strongly and inversely associated with trial length, suggesting their effectiveness in promoting institutional efficiency. Instrumental variables sourced in environmental, infrastructural, and sustainability indicators provide assurance of the robustness of these associations. The research stresses that legal inefficiencies are not peculiar exceptions but are part of deeply embedded and intricate systems of the wider society, economy, and the natural environment. Policy conclusions point to the necessity of integrated governance responses that interlink legal reform with social equity, civic empowerment, and environmental resilience to promote both the timeliness of justice and institutional accountability in regional settings. JEL Codes: K40, K41, I38, O43, R23.