Shining a light on justice
The legal profession has a solid understanding of the importance of a fair and accessible justice system, writes Rosemarie Loftus.
The right of access to justice is central to upholding the law, protecting the public interest, and sustaining a strong democracy. When it functions well, a fair and accessible justice system protects rights, helps prevent abuses of power, and strengthens public trust by resolving disputes impartially and effectively.
As I have said previously, we need a more efficient system that serves the needs of the public. But effective reform depends on having a reliable and objective evidence-base to understand what is working well and what might need to change.
Evidence-based policymaking can result in reforms that are more targeted and more effective.
That’s why the Law Society’s Centre for Justice and Law Reform developed the recently published Justice Indicators report. It provides policymakers with reliable and objective evidence when making policy decisions.
Drawing on over 100 national and international data sources, the publication evaluates the resourcing, effectiveness, and efficiency of the Irish justice system across four critical areas: trust, policing, courts, and prisons.
The findings include both positive and concerning trends, and also highlight several significant data gaps.
You may have already heard about Justice Indicators through the media. It generated significant interest when it was published in February, with widespread coverage on TV, national and regional radio, social media, and in print.
This reflects positively on the profession. By consistently demonstrating our very genuine interest in shaping reform and improving the justice system, our collective voice becomes even more influential.
The findings
Turning to the findings of the Justice Indicators paper, public trust in the gardaí and the judiciary remains high by international standards, although trust in the gardaí has decreased slightly in recent years.
In terms of crime, Ireland’s homicide rate (including intentional murder) is 38% lower than the EU average.
Some findings are less positive. Ireland has the lowest number of judges per capita in Europe. Court cases in Ireland take far longer than in other Council of Europe member states, while the rate of recorded sexual offences is 43% higher than the EU average.
Prison occupancy rates are rising, and the remand population continues to increase.
The report also shines a light on how much we still do not know, such as why prison sentences imposed in Ireland are lower than the EU average.
Are people being released early, are more people being imprisoned for lower-level crimes, or are there other causes?
We don’t know how long court cases have been in the system, and it is not clear how many cases are pending and contributing to the backlog.
The Justice Indicators report demonstrates the value and importance of data as a foundation for evidence-based reform. We intend to revisit the indicators next year, to examine progress on those already assessed and to identify others.
In the meantime, the Law Society will use these findings to guide engagement with stakeholders and to support meaningful change-based reform. Access the report at www.lawsociety.ie/justiceindicators.
More trainees, more counties
I was encouraged to see a recent Law Society report highlight that the number of trainee solicitors has increased throughout the country. All but three counties now have at least one trainee solicitor, an improvement on six counties in 2023 and four in 2024.
Grants and other funding initiatives under the Law Society’s Access Programme (which our practising cert fees help to fund) are clearly making a difference.
Advances have been made, but there is still more to do to strengthen support for rural practices.
Just announced, the proposed move to a single flat fee for criminal legal aid is deeply concerning.
The Law Society has requested a meeting with the Department of Justice to discuss the proposal.
Rosemarie Loftus is President of the Law Society.