03 August 2015
The Chief Minister has presented the Second Interim Report of the Access to Justice Review to the States Assembly.
The report is an important update on the progress that has been made with the Review in the four key areas for improvement highlighted by the people who have submitted comments and evidence to the Review to date. These areas are the:
- Legal Aid System: affordability and the legal profession
- courts, tribunals, panels and mediation and alternative dispute resolution
- availability of information, languages and use of plain English
- simplification and reform of certain laws.
Opportunity for public comment
The Chairman of the Access to Justice Advisory Panel, Senator Paul Routier, MBE, said: “The Second Interim Report is very positive and sets out all the work that is being done to make the justice system more accessible to the public. I am grateful to those people who have contributed so far to the Review and my fellow members of the Panel and would like to commend the Citizens Advice Bureau, Consumer Council, Jersey Law Society, the Jersey Legal Information Board, the courts and the legal profession for the way in which they have engaged with this Review and the work that they are undertaking.”
It is anticipated that the final report on the Review will be presented to the States Assembly in July 2016.
The initial Proposition to establish the review of access to Justice in Jersey (P.158/2013) received the unanimous approval of the States Assembly in January 2014. In the Proposition, the Chief Minister indicated to the States Assembly that the Review was likely to be a lengthy but important piece of work. A first interim report was presented to the States in July 2014 (R.107/2014).
Read the Access to Justice Second Interim Report (R89/2015)
The invitation for members of the public and the legal profession to comment on access to justice remains open so that everyone has the opportunity to voice their views.
Submit a comment to the Access to Justice Review
gov.je