Procedural justice in the courts

Why read this evidence review?

Procedural justice concerns the treatment of members of the public by those in positions of power within the criminal justice system, such as police officers, prison officers and court officials. According to procedural justice theory, members of the public who experience fair decision-making and considerate and inclusive treatment are more likely to accept the outcomes of the criminal justice processes in which they are involved and to regard the justice system as legitimate.

This review covers a wide range of issues including:

•    What procedural justice means
•    Why procedural justice matters
•    The limitations of procedural justice
•    Emerging evidence on procedural justice in the courts
•    Practical steps for enhancing procedural justice in the courts

An online evidence base for the voluntary sector working in the criminal justice system

This article forms part of a series from Clinks, created to develop a far-reaching and accessible evidence base covering the most common types of activity undertaken within the criminal justice system. There are two main aims of this online series:

1. To increase the extent to which the voluntary sector bases its services on the available evidence base
2. To encourage commissioners to award contracts to organisations delivering an evidence-based approach.

Each article has been written by a leading academic with particular expertise on the topic in question. The topics are selected by Clinks’ members as areas of priority interest. Clinks intends to build a comprehensive directory of the best evidence available across a wide range of criminal justice topics within the next three years (2020-2023). The online evidence base is co-ordinated by Russell Webster on behalf of Clinks.

Click here to find out more about the Evidence library.

Want to find out more about this topic?

Part of the 'A matter of fact: what the evidence tells us' series, to accompany our Evidence library, Clinks is giving you the chance to hear from the experts themselves. Dr Amy Kirby and Professor Jessica Jacobson unpack procedural justice in the courts, discuss the evidence base take questions from the audience.

Watch the video recording below: