Explaining attitudes towards the justice system in the UK and Europe

Summary
Objectives
The main objective of this study was to analyse citizens’ attitudes towards the justice system and their determinants, both in the UK and internationally. Based on a literature review and an analysis of existing opinion data, it maps common reasons for dissatisfaction with the justice system in a number of Western countries, and summarises long-term trends in this context. The study analyses the factors that associate with attitudes towards the justice system, again on the basis of international comparisons. The findings have been used to consider the value of different types of survey and opinion research on the justice system to the task of improving confidence and legitimacy.
Methodology
The study has been based on secondary analysis of existing social surveys. First, findings from earlier research are summarised in chapter two. Chapter three summarises basic international data from the World Values Survey, Eurobarometer, and the European Social Survey, to map trends in confidence in the justice system in Western countries and the UK. The findings from chapter two are then used in chapter four to build a model for analysing data on ‘trust in the legal system’ from the European Social Survey for 19 European countries. Given the very general nature of the data and findings in chapter four, a more detailed analysis in chapter five uses data from the 2005/06 British Crime Survey to analyse attitudes towards particular elements of the Criminal Justice System (CJS).
Key findings
Earlier international research on attitudes towards the justice system
• Citizens in many countries are dissatisfied with the justice system’s efficiency, its costs and tendencies towards bureaucratic procedures.
• Yet, confidence in the justice system’s fairness and outcomes remains generally high.
• General attitudes towards the justice system appear to relate closely to attitudes towards other governmental institutions.
• While the justice system often suffers from a bad image, professionals in the system often receive much better ratings.
• Most of the published research has focused on criminal justice with relatively less attention paid to the comparable issues of civil justice.
• Variables measuring citizens’ direct experiences of the justice system are often too general in nature to support detailed understanding of underlying attitudes.