It's a system that sprang up in the postwar era to prevent the travesties of summary justice seen under fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, but in reality it means that justice can be delayed until it's denied as cases move at a snail's pace through the bloated legal machine.
In summary, I believe that these recent price increases are more attributable to the excess liquidity in the financial system than a sudden positive shift in global economic fundamentals.