The Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) has released the findings of its new report into public confidence in the courts. The report comes as the culmination of an ongoing project which has had the following objectives:
- Conduct exploratory research to facilitate a deeper understanding of how the public views the justice system and what drives public perceptions and attitudes.
- Identify opportunities for additional research and advocacy that can help legal system stakeholders re-earn the trust and confidence of the public.
- Curate outside perspectives from legal system experts to explore unique facets of the issue of public trust and confidence in the system.
- Inform other IAALS’ user-focused research and projects.
The report has suggested that public confidence and trust in the courts is currently low, with the suggestion that many participants saw the value of the court system, but felt they had limited access, and little understanding, effectively shutting them out.