Priorities for Backlog of Criminal Cases Pending in Courts: a Computational Agent-Based Model.

The aim of this study is to analyze the eects of criteria of priority on pending criminal trials. The article focuses on the quantitative effects on cases pending of criteria of priority applied by a judge in treating procedures differentiated according to the type of crime and the level of offence. Starting from the ISTAT data on cases pending available in the criminal section of the Tribunal of Catania, agent-based simulation is used to verify the effects of the following criteria: FIFO, gravity and diusion. Finally, the social cost of applying these criteria of priority is assessed.