New report: Underinvestment and poor experiences limit people’s access to justice

Reduced funding has limited access to legal representation, weakened vital support services, and left people struggling to engage fully in the courts and tribunals system.

According to a new report, people facing legal issues are too often navigating complex processes alone – without the advice, guidance or support they need to ensure fair outcomes. One study found that people representing themselves in court experienced “isolation and confusion within the process”, with hearings often feeling “unpredictable and erratic”.

Poor experiences are also driven by wider systemic and cultural issues within the justice system. People encounter processes that are fragmented and not designed around their needs.

Gaps in clear information, inconsistent support and under-resourced services leave users confused and unsupported. People reported that “not knowing what to expect intensified anxiety”, creating fears of an “alien environment” and an “unknown process”. Power imbalances, legal language and professional practices make people – particularly those without representation – feel “out of place, like outsiders”.

The report, ‘People’s experiences and views of the justice system’, by UCL’s Dr Anna Tsalapatanis, is the second in a series of evidence reviews and briefing papers commissioned by our Public right to justice (PRTJ) programme.

It finds that people are often not given the information, emotional support and practical help they need, leaving many without a clear understanding of what to expect or how to properly understand legal processes and take part in their case. Some participants said information that could have helped them make informed decisions “was not given to us, was not shared with us”.

This risks undermining both access to justice and confidence in the system, with vulnerable individuals such as those experiencing poor mental health, disability, learning difficulties, poverty or homelessness, disproportionately affected. People described feeling “depersonalised”, “judged”, “voiceless”, “anxious” and “afraid” while navigating the justice system.

The report highlights the importance of access to affordable legal advice and representation but shows that this access has been severely restricted by reductions in legal aid eligibility, limited availability of providers, and wider cuts to the legal services sector.

It also stresses that changes to legal aid alone are not enough to ensure people can participate effectively at every stage of their case. Legal aid must form part of a broader programme of civil justice reform and investment aimed at rebuilding support services and improving access to information, helping to ensure people can participate effectively at every stage of their case.

The report author’s recommendations include:

• Exploring less adversarial approaches, particularly in family courts, to reduce stress and improve outcomes
• Improving early access to advice and support so problems are resolved before they escalate
• Strengthening processes for identifying and supporting vulnerable users, including clearer and more consistent use of reasonable adjustments
• Expanding eligibility for legal aid so more people can get help with costs
• Increasing investment in legal aid to make it financially viable for more providers to take on this work

The report draws on a comprehensive, evidence-based synthesis of existing research to understand how people experience the justice system and what changes could make it more accessible, efficient, and effective. It brings together decades of evidence across the UK between 1995 and 2025, then focuses in detail on more recent studies published since 2010.

While the review considers the justice system as a whole, including both civil and criminal courts, its detailed analysis focuses primarily on civil, administrative, and family justice in England and Wales.