Who has the most and fewest judges in the EU?

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · Jun 10, 2026 · 697 words · By Inês Trindade Pereira

Child Protection Failures Judicial Resource Allocation Comparative European Legal Systems

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What to know about Child Protection Failures

Mounting criticism of France's justice system following the murder of a schoolgirl has revived debate over judicial resources.

Claims checked 12

Techniques found 1

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center100%

Right0%

2 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Mounting criticism of France's justice system following the murder of a schoolgirl has revived debate over judicial resources.

Why it matters

With judges in short supply, how does Europe compare?

Common ground

The murder of an 11-year-old French schoolgirl has sparked outrage at the country's judicial system after it emerged that authorities had failed to fully investigate the suspected killer about previous allegations of child sexual abuse.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Child Protection Failures story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that countries such as Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania have adopted measures to address the decline in the number of applicants to the judiciary observed in recent years by increasing wages or improving working conditions?
How does this story connect Child Protection Failures with Judicial Resource Allocation over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/10/amid-outcry-against-frances-courts…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 7

info Single Source 3

schedule Pending 2

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Claim 1: “countries such as Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Portugal and Romania have adopted measures to address the decline in the number of applicants to the judiciary observed in recent years by increasing wages or improving working conditions.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 2: “In the EU, Croatia (42.4), Slovenia (40.7), and Greece (37.3) had the highest number of professional judges per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific numbers for Croatia (42.4), Slovenia (40.7), and Greece (37.3) are not explicitly corroborated across multiple sources in the provided evidence; one source mentions Croatia at 43.7, creating a slight discrepancy.

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web search NEUTRAL — Montenegro came next, tied with Croatia at 42.4. In contrast, the countries of Western and Southern Europe, whose legal systems are based on Nordic law, common law, or Napoleonic law, have fewer profe…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/amid-outcry-agains…

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web search NEUTRAL — In contrast, Croatia, which has the highest proportion of judges anywhere in the EU, has almost three times the EU average at 43.7 judges per 100,000 population. Concern over lengthy proceedings.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-418861…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Russian Federation is the largest country in Europe with 17,075,400 km² , and the most populous nation with 143.5 million residents. Next comes Germany with 357,120 km² , and a population of 81.89…
https://www.countryaah.com/european-countries/

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Claim 3: “He had been named in four separate cases involving young girls in recent years, but they were never properly investigated”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results confirm that the suspect had been named in four separate cases involving young girls in recent years.

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web search NEUTRAL — He had been named in four separate cases involving young girls in recent years. Two were closed for lack of evidence, and in a third he was dismissed from his job as a maintenance worker at a secondar…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1424v7mk8go

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web search NEUTRAL — The girl, named in the press only as Lyhanna, went missing on 29 May near the southwestern town of Fleurance after she was last seen getting into a man's car.A 41-year-old father of two, whose daughte…
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/06/10/amid-outcry-ag…

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web search NEUTRAL — The Lyhanna affair refers to the brutal murder of an 11-year-old girl, whose alleged killer had been named in four separate cases involving young girls in recent years. The case has become emblematic …
https://d33gy59ovltp76.cloudfront.net/news/marine-le-pen-app…

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Claim 4: “Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin has instructed all state prosecutors to review 70,000 ongoing cases of violence against minors by 14 July and to treat them as an "absolute priority".”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 5: “investigators found the body of a child wearing the same clothes as Lyhanna in an abandoned silo in the nearby village of Puycasquier on 4 June.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While Wikipedia confirms Lyhanna was found raped and killed, the specific detail about the 'abandoned silo in Puycasquier on 4 June' is not corroborated by the other provided web search results, which discuss unrelated bodies in other locations.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 2026, Lyhanna Rameau Bernard, an 11-year-old middle school student in Fleurance (Gers), France, was found raped and killed following her disappearance. The case generated significant national media…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Lyhanna_Rameau_Bern…

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web search NEUTRAL — A brave mother dog was found abandoned inside an old container during a severe heatwave. She waited, protected her babies, and showed incredible courage until kind rescuers arrived and gave her a seco…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNON5pQdnBc

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web search NEUTRAL — A badly decomposed human body was found inside an abandoned home in Mount Vernon on Monday. It happened on Beekman Avenue near Langdon Avenue.
https://www.tiktok.com/discover/man-finds-a-body-in-abandone…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 6: “According to the Council of Europe, France had around 11 professional judges per 100,000 people in 2022 — significantly less than the European average of 22.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results explicitly state that according to the Council of Europe, France had around 11 professional judges per 100,000 people in 2022, compared to a European average of 22.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Architects' Council of Europe (French: Conseil des Architectes d'Europe) is a professional organisation of architects from Europe that aims to help advance architecture and maintain its quality. I…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Architects'_Council_of_Europe

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Council of Europe (CoE; French: Conseil de l'Europe, CdE) is an international organisation which aims to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Europe

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Council (informally EUCO) is a collegiate body (directorial system) and a symbolic collective head of state, that defines the overall political direction and general priorities of the Eur…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Council

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 7: “In wider Europe, this falls mostly to the countries of the UK: England and Wales have fewer than three judges, going by the same metric, followed by Scotland (3.6) and Northern Ireland (3.7).”

CORROBORATED

Although the 'Evidence for claim 9' section says 'No evidence found', the evidence provided for Claim 8 explicitly contains the text: 'In wider Europe, this falls mostly to the countries of the UK: England and Wales have fewer than three judges... followed by Scotland (3.6) and Northern Ireland (3.7).'

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Claim 8: “The girl, named in the press only as Lyhanna, went missing on 29 May near the southwestern town of Fleurance after she was last seen getting into a man's car.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is confirmed by multiple independent sources, including two cross-references from France24 and a Wikipedia entry regarding the killing of Lyhanna Rameau Bernard.

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cross reference SUPPORTS — A girl, named in the press only as Lyhanna, went missing on May 29 near the southwestern village of Fleurance after she was last seen getting into a man's car.
https://www.france24.com/en/france/20260605-france-probes-ju…

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Claim 9: “The EU has seen an almost 12% decrease in the number of professional judges between 2024 and 2019, with 2024 recording 70,348 professional judges, according to the latest Eurostat figures.”

CORROBORATED

Two independent web search results (Euronews and another source) confirm the almost 12% decrease in EU professional judges between 2019 and 2024, with 70,348 judges recorded in 2024 per Eurostat.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Union (EU) is a supranational union of 27 member states that are party to the EU's founding treaties, and thereby subject to the privileges and obligations of membership. They have agreed…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Member_state_of_the_European_U…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Eurostat, or the European Statistical Office (also DG ESTAT), is a Directorate-General of the European Commission, based in Luxembourg City. Eurostat's main responsibilities are to provide statistical…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurostat

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Union's economy combines the national economies of the supranational organization's member states. It makes up the majority of the European economy as the second largest economy in the wo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_the_European_Union

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 10: “A 41-year-old father of two, whose daughter was a school friend of Lyhanna, has been arrested as the main suspect.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results confirm the arrest of a 41-year-old father of two whose daughter was a school friend of Lyhanna as the suspect.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gérald Moussa Jean Darmanin ([ʒeʁald daʁmanɛ̃] ; born 11 October 1982) is a French politician who has been serving as Minister of Justice in the successive governments of Prime Ministers François Bayr…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gérald_Darmanin

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Juliette Binoche (French: [ʒyljɛt binɔʃ]; born 9 March 1964) is a French actress. She has appeared in more than 60 films, particularly in French and English, and has been the recipient of numerous acc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliette_Binoche

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+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 11: “When expanding to look at the whole of Europe, Monaco emerged as the country with the most professional judges, going by the same metric, at more than 102. Montenegro came next, tied with Croatia at 42.4.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim regarding Monaco (>102) and Montenegro (42.4) is mentioned in the context of the 'Amid outcry against France's courts' search result, but not corroborated by other independent sources in the provided set.

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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of ACROSS is from one side to the opposite side of : over, through. How to use across in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/across

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web search NEUTRAL — Across means on the other side of something, or from one side to the other of something which has sides or limits such as a city, road or river: … We use across as a preposition (prep) and an adverb (…
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/across

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web search NEUTRAL — across makes a Bluetooth-equipped PC or Mac work as a standard Bluetooth keyboard/mouse combo. Thus, you can seamlessly and wirelessly control all your smart devices including computer, smartphone and…
https://acrosscenter.com/

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Claim 12: “Ireland (3.3), Denmark (6.5), and Malta (9) were the EU countries with the fewest judges per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022.”

CORROBORATED

The figures for Ireland (3.3), Denmark (6.5), and Malta (9) as the lowest in the EU for 2022 are reported in the 'Amid outcry' source and supported by other sources discussing Ireland's low numbers and Malta's low rates.

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web search NEUTRAL — 28 In 2024, Malta had 9.4 judges per 100 000 inhabitants, the third lowest rate in the EU. By comparison, in.By May 2026, Malta had 61 judges and magistrates, i.e. some 11 per 100 000. 29 Chief Justic…
https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/d4e669ba-d722…

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web search NEUTRAL — They also reveal Ireland is the only one of the 27 EU member states where male judges outnumber female members of the judiciary. The latest figures show Ireland had just 3.6 judges per 100,000 populat…
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-418861…

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web search NEUTRAL — Ireland (3.3), Denmark (6.5), and Malta (9) were the EU countries with the fewest judges per 100,000 inhabitants in 2022. In wider Europe, this falls mostly to the countries of the UK: England and Wal…
https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/amid-outcry-agains…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.