People believe the UK justice system is ‘unfair, confusing and inaccessible’

Dec 16, 2015

Written By Emma Finamore, Editor, AllAboutLaw.co.uk

New research shows both the public – and legal professionals themselves – believe only wealthy people have access to the justice system.

Barely one in five people in the UK believe the justice system to be ‘fair and transparent’, new research has found.

The data, revealed by Hodge Jones & Allen Solicitors of London, suggests that just 37% of the UK population trust legal professionals working, while more than half (54%) feel the justice system is inaccessible.

The figures also show that the majority (67%) of people feel that wealth is now a more important factor in accessing justice than it used to be. Among legal professionals the number is even higher: 87%.

Those at the centre of the legal system see it as even less accessible than members of the general public do.

The report – Unjust Kingdom: UK perceptions of the justice and legal system – released earlier in December, is part of a drive Hodge Jones & Allen to raise awareness of the challenges the justice system is facing in 2015.

It showcases the findings of a nationwide survey gauging public attitudes towards the legal and justice systems, contrasted with additional perceptions gathered from over 500 legal professionals.

Patrick Allen, senior partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, called the statistics “a damning indictment" of the British justice system.

"If millions of people across the country are intimidated, alienated and confused by the prospect of seeking justice in twenty-first century Britain then we should consider our legal system to have failed in its fundamental duty to provide justice for all,” he said.

Allen also highlighted the importance of support in providing justice for all: “Without legal aid, ordinary people are not getting the access they deserve.

“Fundamentally our legal system exists to protect people across the UK. I implore my peers in the legal sector, the government and the general public to get involved in the debate about how we change and innovate the system to ensure fair and open access to justice for all – regardless of wealth, status or ethnicity.”

The report argues that more must be done not only to restore public trust in the UK justice system, but also to improve knowledge of how it works.

Both the general public and the legal professionals surveyed agree that there is a widespread lack of understanding among the UK population of how the legal system works.

71% of the public believe better education in legal matters would improve access to justice. 69% say an understanding of the law should be taught in primary and secondary schools – with 72% of legal professionals agreeing.

The opinion that simplifying the technical language used by professionals would improve access and understanding was shared by 76% of the population.

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