*/
Only a quarter of the population believe the UK’s legal system is ‘fair and transparent’, according to a survey published by a London law firm.
More than 50% felt the system was inaccessible and two thirds believed that wealth was the most important factor in gaining access to justice.
The poll of more than 2,000 people carried out for Hodge Jones & Allen also revealed that only 37% trusted professionals working in the legal system.
On a more positive note, just over 70% said better education in legal matters would improve access to justice and a similar percentage felt that legal matters should be taught in primary and secondary schools.
Patrick Allen, senior partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, said: ‘These statistics represent 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 21st-century Britain then we should consider our legal system to have failed in its fundamental duty to provide justice for all.’
Meanwhile, separate research from Citizens Advice showed that 70% of the population would be unable to afford a lawyer if they needed help with a legal problem.
The survey of more than 2,000 people found that almost 70% said they would feel uncomfortable talking to a lawyer and only about half thought they would be treated with dignity and respect if they had to go to court.
Around a third thought they would not get the opportunity for their voice to be heard in court and under 40% believed the justice system was working well.
Only a quarter of the population believe the UK’s legal system is ‘fair and transparent’, according to a survey published by a London law firm.
More than 50% felt the system was inaccessible and two thirds believed that wealth was the most important factor in gaining access to justice.
The poll of more than 2,000 people carried out for Hodge Jones & Allen also revealed that only 37% trusted professionals working in the legal system.
On a more positive note, just over 70% said better education in legal matters would improve access to justice and a similar percentage felt that legal matters should be taught in primary and secondary schools.
Patrick Allen, senior partner at Hodge Jones & Allen, said: ‘These statistics represent 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 21st-century Britain then we should consider our legal system to have failed in its fundamental duty to provide justice for all.’
Meanwhile, separate research from Citizens Advice showed that 70% of the population would be unable to afford a lawyer if they needed help with a legal problem.
The survey of more than 2,000 people found that almost 70% said they would feel uncomfortable talking to a lawyer and only about half thought they would be treated with dignity and respect if they had to go to court.
Around a third thought they would not get the opportunity for their voice to be heard in court and under 40% believed the justice system was working well.
Chair of the Bar reflects on 2025
Q&A with criminal barrister Nick Murphy, who moved to New Park Court Chambers on the North Eastern Circuit in search of a better work-life balance
Revolt Cycling in Holborn, London’s first sustainable fitness studio, invites barristers to join the revolution – turning pedal power into clean energy
Rachel Davenport, Co-founder and Director at AlphaBiolabs, reflects on how the company’s Giving Back ethos continues to make a difference to communities across the UK
By Marie Law, Director of Toxicology at AlphaBiolabs
AlphaBiolabs has made a £500 donation to Sean’s Place, a men’s mental health charity based in Sefton, as part of its ongoing Giving Back initiative
Professor Dominic Regan and Seán Jones KC present their best buys for this holiday season
Little has changed since Burns v Burns . Cohabiting couples deserve better than to be left on the blasted heath with the existing witch’s brew for another four decades, argues Christopher Stirling
Six months of court observation at the Old Bailey: APPEAL’s Dr Nisha Waller and Tehreem Sultan report their findings on prosecution practices under joint enterprise
Despite its prevalence, autism spectrum disorder remains poorly understood in the criminal justice system. Does Alex Henry’s joint enterprise conviction expose the need to audit prisons? asks Dr Felicity Gerry KC
With automation now deeply embedded in the Department for Work Pensions, Alexander McColl and Alexa Thompson review what we know, what we don’t and avenues for legal challenge
