New publication: Public engagement with the justice system: an evidence review

New publication: Public engagement with the justice system: an evidence review

This report is part of a series of evidence reviews commissioned by the Nuffield Foundation as part of its Public right to justice programme.

The review explores the public’s engagement with the courts and tribunals system in England and Wales through three dimensions:

• the transparency or openness of the justice system
• the representativeness and diversity of justice system actors
• the public’s direct participation in the delivery of justice as lay adjudicators

The review found that while many commentators (from both academic and policy perspectives) view these as complementary mechanisms that can play a vital part in supporting public trust in, and the perceived legitimacy of, the justice system, the empirical evidence for these claims, in the context of England and Wales, is limited.

However, the case for supporting transparency, representativeness/diversity and lay adjudication rests not only on empirical evidence but also on long-established legal principles and democratic values. There are therefore already strong grounds for maintaining and strengthening policy efforts in these areas. At the same time, there is a need to extend the evidence base.

Read the full report here: https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/publications/public-engagement-with-the-justice-system-an-evidence-review