A survey, conducted by Populus, indicates that policies to slash Ministry of Justice and legal aid budgets are badly out of step with public opinion. The survey was designed to generate far-reaching research into public attitudes to the justice system in England and Wales.   

Populus voices

The Populus survey was commissioned by the Law Society, Bar Council and Chartered Institute of Legal Executives.  

78 per of those polled stated that justice is every bit as important as health and education. The survey also indicates that trust is authority is eroding; 63% of those polled said they would feel uncomfortable dealing with the law and legal processes themselves if they were accused of a crime for which a judge could impose a custodial sentence. 

The Populus survey has also revealed a widespread belief that justice favours the wealthy. 76 per cent of those polled agreed that people on low incomes should be able to get free legal advice. Only 20 per cent of those polled think there is sufficient funding in place for those who need legal advice. 

The fieldwork for the Populus survey was carried out in September 2018. 2086 people responded to the questions. The results were then weighted back to the actual distribution of the population, to ensure that they were representative of the population as a whole.