Ethos et légitimité professionnels à l’épreuve d’une approche managériale : le cas de la justice belge

The conditions of legitimating and introducing a managerial approach in the Belgian judicial system are examined, along with their limits and consequences on legal professionals. The professional culture in Belgian courts has, for a long time, been reluctant to cost-analysis and an organizational approach from a managerial perspective. As in many other Western lands however, the judicial system in Belgium is now confronted with the growing impact of a rationale of efficiency. Accepted by certain legal professionals even though specific arrangements came under question, this process of change has brought to light a juxtaposition and competition between various types (legal, political, managerial) of regulations. It has led to: redefining the professional identity of magistrates, increasing the complexity of the judiciary's legitimacy and altering the balance of power between legal professionals. Models of the “good” magistrate and “good” justice have thus been redefined.